


Stardew Valley Sebastian x Reader

by AsinineK9



Category: Stardew Valley (Video Game)
Genre: Emo, F/M, Fluff, SEBASTIAN - Freeform, Slow Burn, angstwithhappyending, f/m - Freeform, stardewvalley
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-04
Updated: 2019-09-20
Packaged: 2019-10-22 10:13:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 24
Words: 45,506
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17660777
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AsinineK9/pseuds/AsinineK9
Summary: Moving to a small town after years of living in the big city is taking it's toll on you. You can barely handle that, and now you have to deal with feeling very strange about a short boy in a black hoodie...(hhhhhh bad summary)





	1. Heyo

Hi! I hope you've played Stardew Valley, because that is what this story is about. This is also my first story, but I'm excited to start writing it! I have good ideas for some plots and things. 

This story will of course have the main plot of falling head over heels with the adorable emo Sebastian, but it will also have some side plots with the other villagers and celebrations. 

I will update when I can. Thank you for checking this out/reading!

Edit: This story is being transferred to here from Wattpad! If I say any Wattpad related things (such as 'vote') just know I mean the AO3 equivalent (such as 'kudos').


	2. Joja

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edit: Okay I know the first chapter you're supposed to write really well to intrigue readers so they don't click away immediately and I know this is written really badly but if you keep reading later chapters it get better
> 
> Thanks for reading! I hope you like it so far. I feel like it was a little fast, so if you have any suggestions, let me know.

Days have lost their meaning; all sense of time is gone. When did you get up this morning? What time is it now? When is your lunch break? Did you work through it? You bet you did. The repetitive ticking of the keys on the keyboard was comforting, but it also made you nervous. Nervous because you knew you would have to hear that same sound thousands and millions of times over. Tick tick tick tick.

The ticking got louder and louder, pressing you to type faster, do more work, driving you insane. They seemed to be calling your name. Louder, louder, and louder still-

"Y/N!"

"GAH!" You jumped back, almost falling out of your chair. Startled, and breathing heavy, you looked up to see who broke you from your eternal cycle. 

"Girl, you- you don't look so good, actually. You feeling okay?" It was Blain, staring down at you with a bit of a concerned demeanor. She was holding a coffee of course, because Blain could barely stay awake herself, just like you and the rest of the workers at Joja. 

"Oh, it's just you. Yeah I- I feel fine. I'm just tired," You responded, partially lying. There was no way in hell that you felt fine, but you were tired. Tired of this job. Tired of this terrible life.

You rubbed your screen stained eyes.

"You need a drink. C'mon. Lunch break isn't gonna last forever." 

She pulled you up from your seat and dragged you to a small cafe that was in the building. Everything was Joja branded, as to be expected. Blain ordered a coffee for you (with room for cream, of course) as you tucked your stray hairs back into your ponytail and tried to hide your general disheveled-ness. You picked at a loose string on the red bandana around your neck until you felt something hot nudging your shoulder. 

"One human fuel cup, hot and ready for the taking," Blain said as she pressed the coffee further into your arm. She stood sipping her coffee, obviously fed up with the worker that she had some sort of quarrel with over the coffee order. Blain has always been a bit belligerent, but kind to you. 

You took the coffee from Blain and walked over to a table to sit as you mindlessly sipped on cheap, cardboard coffee. Coffee coffee coffee coffee.

"So, farmer girl," Blaine had called you that since you started wearing overalls, but it never really bothered you, seeing that your grandfather was a farmer before he passed, "you doing anything interesting?"

"Never have, never am, never will. Just cut the small talk, Blades, we have nothing new to talk about." Blain sat down across from you and chuckled. 

"So what, we just gonna sit in silence and stare at each other?" She smirked, fiddling with the strings on her unzipped sweatshirt. 

"Like a staring contest? That would be interesting."

"You're a real card, Y/N."

You blew her a sarcastic kiss and she caught it and, sarcastically, pressed it to her heart, smiling.

You and Blain finished your liquid pain and headed back to your cubicles to hear that wonderful march of your fingers on the keyboard.


	3. Letter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You find a letter that will change your life forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only about 450 words or so, but hey, I felt bad about not posting. Next part will be exciting I'm sure. Thank you all for reading, comment what you think about it or if you have any suggestions!

As said before by Blain, you, and everyone else in this hellhole, this place was and is a hellhole. You recalled some sort of book from when you were little and just started to make your own version on the spot, as one does.

"She hated this job, she hated a lot, she did not like this job, no she did not," you started, "She hated how the cubicles were a little too small, she hated the writing on the bathroom stalls. She hated this job more than anyone had before, she hated this job because... because..." hm. How to finish it?

You glanced around for momentary inspiration and your eyes struck a photo of you and your grandpa when you were little. Oh how you had the best time together, coloring and playing outside. That was a time when you truly felt free. "...because she didn't get to live anymore."

And that's when it hit you. The letter. The letter you had held onto for so many years, losing and gaining hope in it like a rollercoaster. The letter that your grandfather had given you in his dying moments. The letter that you were told would set you free. Where was it?

You knew you had kept it in your desk, but you weren't sure where. You couldn't take this damn eternal suffrage called a workplace anymore. The adrenaline hit you so hard that you started throwing papers out of your desk draws one by one, you fell out of your chair, one of the straps on your silly blue overalls came loose or something, the building set of fire, the world froze over- you didn't really know what was going on, you didn't really care. 

And finally you found it- the purple wax sealed, something years ago, smells like grandpa, filled with hope, possibly a scam but hopefully not, letter with love tied around it in a bow. 

As people wondered what the hell you were doing, your eyes scanned over the words.

"Dear Y/N,

If you are reading this, you must be in dire need of a change.

The same thing happened to me, long ago. I'd lost sight of what mattered most in life... real connections with other people and nature. So I dropped everything and moved to the place where I truly belong.

I've enclosed the deed to that place... my pride and joy: Crater Farm. It's located in Stardew Valley, on the Southern Coast. It's the perfect place to start your new life. 

This was my most precious gift of all, and now it's yours. I know you'll honor the family name, my precious granddaughter. Good luck.

Love, Grandpa"

You stood up, slowly folded the letter, and neatly put it into your back pocket. As everyone waited in anticipation, Blain was the only one brave enough to say anything.

"Uh... Y/N? You good?"

"Never better."


	4. Preparing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Moving is hard.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Thanks for reading! Only about 450 words again, but I'm uploading again later today. I tend to rush through things quickly in writing, so I'll try to slow it down a bit. 
> 
> Why not vote or leave a comment? It'll make my day, and it's totally free!  
> Haha, but you don't have to if you don't want to.
> 
> Got any other comments? Things you want to see in the story? Writing suggestions? Grammar mistakes? Let me know!
> 
> -AsinineK9

"Ugh- just- let me help," Blain insisted, picking up a few heavy boxes and leaning back to compromise the weight.

You looked around, feeling a bit melancholy. It was bittersweet leaving this tiny apartment. I mean, of course, you would probably think that it would be nice to leave your terrible job and cramped habitat, but this was the first apartment that you had gotten by yourself after you moved out of your dad's house. 

"You good, girl?" a voice seemed to ask as you felt something warm on your cheek. 

"Huh?" You turned to the voice as the box you were carrying seemed to slip out of your hands.

"Hey," Blain said softly, putting down some boxes in a corner, "I know it's scary, moving to a whole new city. It was scary for me when I moved to Zuzu. But it's going to be okay, and that's a promise."

"It's not that." You wiped your nose and up to your cheek with your palm. "What will I do without my player 2? When I moved to Rocky Point from Scarlettsburg, I at least had my dad. When I moved from Scarlettsburg to Zuzu, I had you. But now? I'm going into this all alone. What if no one likes me? What if I miss my old apartment too much? What If my farm fails? You know I kill any plant I touch."

Blain sighed and motioned for us both to sit down. "What do you think phones are for? I'm one call away. I think that a, everyone will like you because if I can like you, then so can everyone else,"

You giggled.

"b, you aren't going to miss this thing. I've hated it since you bought it. And c, I don't think your farm is going to fail because of how much attention you always pay to detail, but if it does fail, I'm sure that's not the only job in all of Stardew Valley. You're gonna do great. I know it." She wrapped her arms around you and squeezed tight. 

"Alright," you took a deep breath and stood up, "let's finish packing."

 

__--+**+--__

 

After you had finished saying goodbye to Blain, your boxes in the mail to arrive in a few days, you boarded the bus, excited and nervous for your new life. 

You wondered what the new town would be like, Pelican Town. It was a beautiful day to find out. The grass was a vibrant green, the sky a mellow and relaxing blue, and the sun, well, perfect for growing crops under! Just as you thought your excitement had reached it's peak, you saw a sign that read 'Stardew Valley 0.5 miles'.

 

Your eyes only got wider with anticipation.


	5. New Place

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time to settle in to your new home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this is just the introduction and it's a bit boring, but I'll get to the juicy stuff soon.
> 
> Why not leave a comment or kudos? It'll let me know that you're enjoying the story, and it's completely free!  
> Got any comments? Questions? Things you would like to see in the story? Grammar mistakes? Let me know!
> 
> Thanks for reading!  
> -AsinineK9

The bus stopped. Your stomach lurched. You got up. Walked out.

There seemed to be someone waiting for you when you got out. You weren't really sure what to expect after letting them know that you were coming, but you didn't expect for someone to be waiting for you.

"Hello! You must be Y/N. I'm Robin, the local carpenter. Mayor Lewis sent me here to fetch you and show you the way to your new home." A woman with almost pumpkin-orange hair wearing a yellow jacket and green pants introduced herself to you. You didn't really think that green and yellow should be paired together in clothing, but hey, she made it work.

Lewis... didn't Grandpa say something about someone named Lewis?

"He's there right now, tidying things up for your arrival." She smiled.

"Cool," you said to make yourself feel less awkward, only making the situation more awkward.

"The farm's right over here, if you'll follow me." She motioned to follow her, and so you complied. It was a beautiful place, Stardew Valley. The walk wasn't long, because the farm was literally right around the-

OHMYSOMANYWEEDS

When you rounded the corner, you saw that the farm was littered with weeds, bits and pieces of fallen trees, and many rocks of many different sizes. You jumped a little in surprise. You thought there would be some weeds (under the assumption that your grandpa was the last one to live on this farm), but yeesh.

"Yep, this is Crater Farm. Sure it's a bit overgrown, but there's good soil underneath that mess! With a little dedication I'm sure you'll have it cleaned up in no time." Robin chuckled. She seemed nice, and started to grow on you a little. But didn't she say that Lewis was here?

She walked a few feet over, and you followed her.

"And here we are, your new home!" You couldn't help but notice how cute the little place was. It was fun to think that this is the exact place that your grandpa had come when he was your age. He also met Mimi and raised a child (your mom) here. Maybe you would be able to do that here too. Someone had obviously been caring for the place overtime, because there was a full stack of logs in the log-holder-place (you really needed to learn all the farmer lingo). The house wasn't as run down as the lawn was, in fact, the wood of the house looked almost polished despite a few chips here and there. The plates on the roof were a bit dirty, but hey, it's a roof. Not much you can do about it. The house had a chimney! You had always wanted a house with a chimney, although you weren't quite sure why. You took notice of one last thing - the window, which looked like it was from some old Japanese movie that you had watched when you were little and gave you a sweet nostalgic feeling - before a kind looking old man wearing suspenders, a yellow tie over a green shirt, and the kind of brown pants that only an old man could truly wear, stepped out of the house and onto the patio.

"Ah, the new farmer!" He exclaimed. So this must be Lewis. "Welcome! I'm Lewis,"

Bingo.

"mayor of Pelican Town." He stepped down the stairs to formally meet you. You noted that the man had a mustache that could not be beat. He shook your hand.

"You know, everyone here has been asking about you."

"Really?" Your thought escaped your lips. Well, that put your earlier concerns to rest.

"Yep! It's not every day that someone new moves in. It's quite a big deal!" He smiled. Huh. Maybe you weren't the only one excited about your new life here.

"So, you're moving into your grandfather's old cottage." He looked up at the house in silence, reminiscing and remembering all the good memories that he made with your grandfather there, then he looked back to you with a hopeful look, wondering what new memories you would make here with your newfound friends. "It's a good house, very 'rustic'".

"Rustic? That's one way to put it..." Robin chimed in. "'Crusty' might be a little more apt, though."

"Rude!" Mayor Lewis exclaimed as Robin mischievously chuckled. "Don't listen to her, Y/N. She's just trying to make you dissatisfied so that you buy one of her house upgrades." Robin looked mortified, but she just 'humph'ed because she couldn't deny the truth.

"Anyway... you must be tired from the long journey. You should get some rest." He patted you on the back. Just after he said that you realized how tired you were. It was a real emotional journey, as well as physical, and some down time would be greatly appreciated.

"Yeah, It'd be nice to get some sleep before I go explore the town and stuff." And stuff? Wow, you almost surprised yourself with how 'well' you were speaking. Granted, it was a new situation with new people, but come on, you could do better than this.

"The townspeople would really appreciate meeting you." He smiled and started to walk off. Before he started on the path he turned around. "I almost forgot," he mentioned "If you have anything to sell, just place it in this box here. I'll come by during the night to collect it."

Nice quick way to make money. You liked it.

"Well, good luck!" He wished to me, walking presumably to the village with Robin.

"Thanks guys!" You yelled, walking up the steps. You walked inside and instead of looking around the house to appreciate it first, you went straight to bed.


	6. Morning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why not leave a comment or kudos? It'll let me know that you're enjoying the story, and it's completely free!  
> Got any comments? Questions? Things you would like to see in the story? Grammar mistakes? Let me know!
> 
> Thanks for reading!  
> -AsinineK9

You woke up, unfortunately. Wouldn't it be nice to see everyone in the village? Y'know, meet new people, smell the fresh air? Start the farm? Not stay in bed all day again? You argued to yourself. You were about to decide on five more minutes when you noticed a package in the middle of the cottage. Mindlessly you flipped the covers off of the bed and flumped down next to the package. You picked up the package and shook it like a kid waiting for Christmas, and when you heard something rattling around in it, you decided to just put it down and open it. It had 15 packages of seeds in it with a small labels on them that said 'Parsnip Seeds'. You saw a note in the box next to the packages.

'Here's a little something to get you started.

-Mayor Lewis'

How nice... you totally wanted to get started farming today... yay... but, where should you put them? You looked around on your outfit and stuffed the seeds in your pockets. Those are gonna be filled soon.

Hm. The house had an old TV on a little table-ish thing (hey, what were you, a furniture expert?) in the corner opposite your bed. A cute fireplace sat in the room next to a table and chair next to the TV of course. A small picture of a tree hung next to a window.

"Okay, first thing's first," you mumbled to yourself. You didn't need to change from your pajamas, as you were so tired the previous day you just fell asleep in your day clothes. You made a mental list of some things you needed to do to get started. You were so tired and so dreading this that you didn't even realize how nervous about your first day you should have been.

Mental list:

1\. Grow and harvest a parsnip

2\. Meet everyone

You weren't so excited about that second one. Actually scratch that, you weren't very excited about either.

No, that was enough. Being overly happy about everything has always been your thing, so it's time to wake yourself up!

You decided to call Blain, as she was probably very eager to see how you were holding up.

beep beep beeeep, beep beep, you dialed the numbers on your little flip phone.

"GIRL WHY DIDN'T YOU CALL ME I WAS SO WORRIED!" Oh. What?

"What do you mean? I was tired, I went to bed." You answered nonchalantly yet excitedly.

"You promised to call me the instant you got there! I thought the bus crashed or something!" Blain was freaking out, but obviously relieved. I chuckled and sat on my bed.

"I'm ok."

"So what's it like there? Any cuties?"

"Of course that's the first thing you ask about."

She audibly smiled.

"But, I have to say, the woman that showed me to my cottage was kinda cute." My face got hot, and I was probably blushing a little.

"Ooh! How old is she? And, speaking of, how is the cottage?"

"I'm not sure how old she is, looks a little older than me though. And the cottage is very cute! You would like it here." I smiled.

"I bet I would. Now go have fun, and report back soon to tell me everything!" She was probably jumping around her apartment.

"I will girly, miss you lots!" Even though it had only been a day since you last saw her, it was the truth.

"Miss you too!" beeeeeeep.

You sighed. "Alright," you started, "let's do this!" You exclaimed, tossing the phone on your bed and bolting out the door.


	7. Exploration

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Introductions to some of the townsfolk!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to make another book (one that I can write without having to have Stardew Valley running at all times and using all the battery on my computer). What do you want it to be about? It can be of a specific fandom, a specific thing or trope, or both, I don't care. If I'm not in the fandom that you request then I'll see what I can do. Or you can just leave it up to me and my OCs, which I'm always happy with. I don't write smut, by the way. 
> 
> Sorry we're still stuck in exposition. I have a thing for it. This story won't always go day by day, but it is now because I'm introducing everyone. 
> 
> Why not leave a comment or a vote? It'll let me know that you're enjoying the story, and it's completely free!  
> Got any comments? Questions? Things you would like to see in the story? Grammar mistakes? Let me know!
> 
> Thanks for reading!  
> -AsinineK9

As you ran giggling past the yard, you took notice yet again of how weed filled it was. Something you would take care of later. You reached the small pathway that the bus stop was at, and you realized that everything beyond this point would be new. 

You paused. And began to run again, giggling picking up again.

It wasn't long that you came to a clearing filled to the brim with sunlight and buildings. It smelled of green- something that you hadn't been used to when living in the city. The air was warm and comforting, and the birds chirped to their heart's content. Most of the structures looked to be houses, but the one that caught your eye first was the building straight ahead of you. It was big and had a large colorful sign on it that read 'Pierre's'. You didn't exactly take notice of the structure next to it, and you didn't particularly want to, as you were trying to take in things one at a time.

You tried to push the glass doors open and-

locked.

You then noticed the sign that quite obviously said, "Open 9:00am - 9:00pm". Huh. You started to think of all the vulgar names Blain would have called you (while laughing uncontrollably) for running into a glass door that you could see through.

You shook those thoughts and instead thought of the other things you could do while waiting. Checking out the board next to the door could be a good idea, as it seemed to have some probably informational flyers on it.

A calendar! That would be helpful- and it had some days in specific marked down. Birthdays with pictures of people that you guessed you would be meeting in the near future, a festival, and a dance. A dance? Like... a romantic dance? ...Interesting.

One of the birthdays stood out to you in particular, as you had recognized the name next to it. You looked up and yep, it matched the name on the sign above.

Just as you were going to check the time to see how much waiting you had left to do, the minute sound of footsteps seemed to grow louder. You turned to see a disgruntled looking man that seemed to be doing his best to ignore your presence- or maybe, he was an expert at it.

Curiously, you went up to him and tried to introduce yourself. Emphasis on tried.

He simply said,

"I don't know you. Why are you talking to me?"

You looked back to the calendar to see if you could find him. Shane. Probably drunk. Just a hunch.

Suddenly, the lights had turned on in 'Pierre's' and you pushed on the now unlocked doors. They opened with ease, and you walked in. It was a little market! It sold seeds and fruit and other necessities. You decided to pick up what you could afford in parsnip seeds and proceed to the desk where you saw a familiar face.

You went up and introduced yourself to the man you recognized as Pierre. 

"Hey, it's Ms. Y/N, the new farmer! I'm Pierre, owner of the local general store. If you're looking for seeds, my shop is the place to go. I'll also buy produce from you for a good price! A little agriculture could really inject a new life into the local economy!" He chimed.

"Oh that's uh, cool! Thank you!" You smiled kindly. 

You paid for the parsnip seeds and immediately regretted spending all the money you had. Maybe it would have been a smarter choice to save at least some money, but hey, you were new to this whole farming thing, and you weren't going to let anyone judge you. Including yourself.

You were about to walk out when you noticed two people come in. One a stout older looking man, and one an older looking woman with short hair and a tired, friendly smile. One of the goals on your mental list was to meet everyone, right? Of course as you walked over to the older woman you imagined how you could say one wrong thing everything could spiral downward.

"Um," you started (not so) confidently, "M-my name's Y/N. I'm new here." You were about to ask what her name was when she interjected.

"Ah, Mayor Lewis had told me you just arrived. I'm Marnie! I sell livestock and animal care products at my ranch. You should swing by sometime." She sounded so genuine. It made you light up a little.

Also, a market that sells seeds? A ranch to buy livestock? Geez, it's like this place was waiting for a new farmer to get here. 

"I-I definitely will!"

Marnie had picked the last of her items from the shelf in front of her and started to make her way to the counter to pay. But as she started walking, she turned back.

"And don't be so shy, honey, we in Stardew don't bite. Well, maybe Sebastian does, if he ever comes out of his room!" She chuckled as she walked away.

How could she tell you felt shy? Was it the stuttering? Just then you noticed that your face felt hot- maybe you were embarrassment blushing. Who knows. You brushed it off as you moved to the next isle to introduce yourself to the man.

"Hello, I'm Y/N. I'm new in Pelican town. What's your name?" Perfect, ten out of ten, so proud, you didn't even stutter or mess up one word. 

"I'm Gus. I'm getting some supplies for the saloon. Pierre's got the good stuff. You should come by soon. You can meet lots'a people there since you're new. Make new friends. Good connections." Huh. Another kind soul. You were starting to like this place. Grandpa and Mayor Lewis were right.

Pockets full of packets of parsnip seeds, you walked out.

You checked the time. About 11:20-ish. It's a beautiful day, so surely you can meet a few people by just walking around.

Straight down from Pierre's, you saw a brightly blond haired boy that looked about your age. 

You went up to him and introduced yourself.

"Hey, I'm Sam. Good to meet you." He seemed like a bit of a bro, so you went for a fist bump. 

Oh no, he went for a handshake.

His nails slightly scraped your knuckles, but you didn't care and neither did he. He was nice. You liked his hair. You were both going to pretend that never happened. 

You kept walking down the stone path and found a flower in the grass. You pulled it and kept it with you. A lily maybe- no, a daffodil. Then, under a small group a trees, you spotted a girl with pretty dark orange hair clutching her knees. You really had no use for the flower, so you decided to give it to her.

"Hi..." She trailed off as she noticed you looking down at her. "Did you need something?"

Now she was the definition of shy. 

"My name's Y/N," You mentioned in a soft tone while kneeling next to her. "I'm new here. I live at the old cottage, and I'll be starting a farm soon." The flower shifted from your hand to hers. Her eyes lit up in a strange and beautiful way that you think you've seen before.

"Thanks, this looks nice." She put the flower in her hair as you stood up and waved goodbye. 

You continued down the pathway next to her, which was a dirt one, and came across a cemetery. As your go-lucky expression dropped, you decided that maybe it would be best to give respects to those that lived in this life and love filled town before you.

There were four gravestones present. The first on the left you straight up couldn't read, the second one on the left was old a faded. 

The one in the middle simply said "Our beloved Mona".

The one on the right was in a language you couldn't read. You gave a moment of silence to these four graves before returning to your exploration.

The next thing on the path was Mayor Lewis' house, but you didn't need him for anything at the moment, so you decided to just move ahead. 

Up from the pathway was a light blue house that you were sure you heard someone playing with a sports ball in front of earlier. You planned to just come back the next day. You checked the time. 1:30. Wow, does time fly.

Next to the light blue house was a small fenced in area that had a big red sign containing the sloppy letters, "DOG". You looked over the fence to see a food bowl and a cardboard box with glowing orange eyes peering out of it. Maybe you should stay away from that. 

To the right of the light blue house and the DOG area was a trailer, and to the right of that, a river. Noticing the bottle of what you guessed was white wine, you assumed that was where Shane lived.

The door was partially open, so you peered in to see- oh, it's the tree girl. She was doing the dishes. You guessed she had walked over while you were exploring. You were about to leave when you heard a faint "It's Penny, by the way."

You closed the door quietly and softly smiled.

You walked down past the trailer, past Mayor Lewis' house and old rusty car, down to a bridge that you had noticed earlier.

Across the bridge was a beach. A small beach, admittedly, but still a beach. A shack on the side of the beach caught your eye, so you walked over to it, picking up a shell or two along the way. You pulled on the door of the shack, and hooray, your second time trying and failing to open a locked door today. Maybe it wasn't just a shack.

Looking across the small beach you found a port, and on the port resided a bigger structure, which was a shack, although a big one, but a shack nonetheless. You went down to that shack and (BEFORE TRYING TO OPEN THE DOOR) found a note on the door. Fool me once, shame on me. Fool me twice, shame on you. Fool me three times... let's hope it doesn't have to come to that.

The note read,

"Gone fishing.

I'll be back tomorrow."

Alright. 

You walked back to the bridge and saw something that you had missed- a bit of broken wood sticking out of the sand that had probably once led to another part of the beach. You wondered if it would be important later on. 

As you had placed your first step on the bridge, you heard a door shut, so you turned right back around. 

You saw a man with long blond hair walking toward the bridge. As the man got closer and closer, your only thought was, "Damn."

You stopped him to introduce yourself.

"Ah, the new farmer we've all been expecting... and whose arrival has sparked many a conversation! I'm Elliot... I live in the little cabin by the beach. It's a pleasure to meet you." His words were so poetic, it made the author wonder if she should keep this a Sebastian fanfic or switch it to an Elliot one. 

You felt bad for mentally calling it a shack.

You were kinda speechless, and the man went on his way anyway. You followed him off the bridge not far behind, and noticed that he was wearing a very fancy coat with coattails. My my, what an ornate person.

You turned to go back to your farm, up the stone path, turn to the left, passed the bus stop, and stopped when you saw a familiar cottage.

"Okay, I should probably start planting these," you mumbled to yourself, "but first I need a place to plant them."

Using some of the farming tools that you had gotten from Mayor Lewis, you started to clear an area for the 40 packs of parsnip seeds that you had. Maybe you should have gone a little easier on the parsnips.

In the middle of clearing a space, you realized that your pockets had filled up and you had no place to put the other things that you wanted to pick up (rocks, grass remnants, sap, wood pieces, etc.) in. Then you glanced over to the box that Mayor Lewis had told you about, and you put some of your useless things that you could probably make some money off of in it. Then, you kept going back to clearing a space. 

You hoed the ground, planted the seeds, watered them, and found yourself completely exhausted as you collapsed onto your bed.


	8. Meetin' and Greetin'

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More introductions and setup for future chapters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Does Pam smoke? I have no idea. I just thought it went well with her personality. Sorry this chapter was so choppy and full of dialogue, but I'm sleepy and not in the mood to write, and two negatives don't make a positive in this situation. Let me know what I got wrong and I'll fix it later.
> 
> I don't know if I'm going to do something with the community center. It's all about what you guys want. 
> 
> Why not leave a comment or a vote? It'll let me know that you're enjoying the story, and it's completely free!  
> Got any comments? Questions? Things you would like to see in the story? Grammar mistakes? No seriously, I'm half asleep so I probably horribly misspelled some things. Let me know!
> 
> Happy summer break!
> 
> -AsinineK9

The next morning came just like every other morning; faster than you wanted it to. 

You rolled out of bed and staggered over to the TV, ready to watch some morning whatever. You slammed your thumb on several different cushy buttons, eventually turning the TV on. There only seemed to be two channels that you cared to watch, so you put one of them on.

"Welcome to KOZU 5... your number one source for weather, news, and entertainment. And now, the weather forecast for tomorrow..."

Tomorrow? What? Why not today?

"It's going to rain all day tomorrow."

"Great," you sighed, but at least the rain is good for your crops. 

You flipped to the other channel, wondering if it was actually going to be serious, or just some prank.

"Hoo.. I see a glimmer within my scrying orb... a shard of knowledge from the future!"

...What?

"The spirits are somewhat annoyed today. Luck will not be on your side."

"Oh good, just what I needed on my second day here," you mumbled, switching off the TV and tossing the remote onto your bed. When you walked outside, you noticed that the little red flag on the side of your mailbox was up. You walked over and put the little red flag down while opening the slot. A single envelope sat lowly in the back. You had a bit of trouble opening the letter, as your nails were a bit chipped from planting those parsnips yesterday. 

The letter read, 

"Hello there,

Just got back from a fishing trip. You should come down to the beach sometime. I've got something for ya.

-Willie"

"Well that's not ominous at all. I guess I could go down there. Didn't have any other plans." You decided that you would head to the beach first, and then meet the other villagers. 

You put the note in your pocket and watered your parsnips which- hey! The parsnips had sprouted! So you really didn't kill everything you touched.

Following the note and getting lost along the way, you went to the beach and saw someone standing at the edge of the docks. A lot less... handsome, you would say, than the guy you met yesterday. Just as you started to walk towards him, he started speaking.

"Ahoy there, lass. Heard there was a newcomer in town... Good to finally meet ya."

The man turned around. He wore a stringy dark red shirt and dark long pants. On his head, a dirty hat perched. He had scruffy dark grey hair to match his scruffy dark grey beard and 'stache. The part of his face that you could see was clean. He smoked a wooden pipe, the smoke almost covering his dark green eyes.

"I'm still tryn' to unwind from a month out on the salty seas. It was a big haul! I sold a lot of good fish." He smiled his gritty smile. "Finally saved enough to buy me a new rod." He stepped closer. "Here, I want you to have my old fishing rod." You took the rod from his musty hands and gripped it in yours. It was made from fine bamboo. "It's important to me that the art 'o fishing stays alive. And hey, maybe you'll buy somethin' from the shop once in a while."

He turned back to the sea. The way he looked at the sea... something pained in your chest. You wished someone would look at you like that. "There's good water here in the valley. All kinds 'o fish."

A moment of silence. Well, not silence, but something else. The way the waves washed to the shore was so... calming. So beautiful. You understood why someone as fancy as Elliot would live in such a small space just to live by the beach. It was wonderful.

"Come by my shop if you need some supplies. It's open now that I'm back. I'll also buy anything you catch. As my ol' Pappy used to say, 'If it smells, it sells!'" Willie chuckled. He resumed smoking his pipe as you went on your way. 

"Heh heh!" You said to no one, "I can fish now." Your tone should not have been so cocky, because at your first fishing attempt, you almost dropped your rod in the water. Best to just get going. 

When you turned out from the bridge, you saw a little boy with reddish hair that you decided to say hello to. He probably lived in the valley. 

"Hi!" You turned to him.

"Oh, a stranger! My name's Vincent. Momma says not to talk to strangers... But you seem ok." He smiled. What a cute kid.

"I'm Y/N! I just moved in at the farm." You bent down a little bit. He was a cute kid, but a very small one. 

"Oh cool!" He exclaimed, a glimmer in his eyes. "Are you gonna grow a lotta stuff there?"

"Yeah!" Okay. This was the turning point. You decided right then and there that you were totally going to live here forever. "I'll bring you some one it grows, if you'd like."

"Ok!" And with that, he went on his way. You went on yours, too, not exactly sure where to go next. Wait, wasn't there some guy playing sportsball or something just around here? You acted on that and went up and to the right, and you were right. In front of the pale blue house stood a handsome young man who looked to be about your age, wearing what was probably a letterman jacket, jeans, and playing with a football. You went up to the guy and waved hello. 

"Hey, you're the new girl, huh? I think we're going to get along great. I'm Alex. I'll see you around." He was obviously a jock, what with the muscles and getup and all. You waved again, this time to say goodbye, and went to search for more people. 

While walking, you took notice of that beaten down trailer where Penny lives. You wondered if Penny was in there, because you wanted to say hi. She was shy, but, like everyone else, seemed kind deep down. Didn't your grandpa have a saying about Stardew? Well, he had many, but there was one in specific about the houses that you were having trouble remembering. Then, it hit you like a brick. 'The doors are always open. And I mean that. No one locks anything!' but did he really mean that? If he did, then opening the door and stepping inside wouldn't be a half bad idea. If he didn't, the things could get real awkward real fast.

Oh well. What do you have to loose besides the future of a reputation in the village that you just had to promise to yourself you were going to live forever in? Besides that, you had nothing to loose at all.

You walked up to the creaky door of the old, dirty trailer, not letting yourself take notice of the white wine that must've been sitting out in the sun for a matter of weeks based on the smell. You pushed the door open to find an older looking woman sitting on the couch, and wow, the inside looked just about a grimy as the outside. The woman on the couch wasn't an exception to this. The pink shirt wearing, blonde, grumpy woman sat on the torn green couch, unfazed by your sudden appearance in her, uh, 'house'. 

You decided it would be rude not to talk to her, especially since you haven't met her yet.

"Uh, hi." You walked up to her, not exactly sure how to introduce yourself to this one. 

"Hey kid. The name's Pam." Her voice was as gross as her exterior, but hey, who were you to judge, farmer girl? "Don't be a jerk and we'll get along fine." Okay, putting aside the whole 'not judging' thing, her voice was as gross as her exterior and her personality. You already didn't like her.

You noticed a few things about the lovely little abode, like the dishes which were unexpectedly clean and neatly out away, the tiny TV, the spilled alcohol, the cigarette burns on the couch, and a short hallway and door to your left. You guessed to was... both of their rooms? You only saw one other room than the one you were in, and the room you were in had no bed. 

Well, you went into someone else's house without permission, you met your second drunk of the town, and you knew what month old overheated white wine smelled like. That's enough adventure in this area.

"Bye, Pam."

"Mmrf." Just like Penny, she seemed kind deep down. Just really, really, really deep down. You hoped. 

As you left the house, an idea struck you. Why not go visit Robin? It's been a few days, and she'd probably like to know how you are settling in. Speaking of visiting Robin, you don't know where her house is. That kind of ruins the plan, doesn't it?

Just then, very coincidentally (or is the author just lazy?), Mayor Lewis walked past. 

"Ah!" You exclaimed, "Mayor Lewis!" You jogged up to him as he turned around. 

"So, how was your first night in the old cottage? Your grandpa used to complain about the rickety old bed. But I think, deep down, he actually loved that house," he smiled.

"Heh, that sounds like Grandpa. And it was great, actually! The bed was just fine. Now uh, can you tell me where Robin's house is?" You nervously smiled, but you didn't quite know why you were nervous. 

"Ah yes, it's right up the stairs back there, you go right, and then you'll see a little passage. If you follow those directions correctly, it's hard to miss," he explained as he pointed.

"Thank you!" You thanked him kindly and he tipped his cap towards you. 

While following his directions carefully, you came across a building that couldn't be described by any words except 'run down'. It had a large clock above the door, and to the right of the clock was written 'Pelican Town'. Maybe it was used for something in the past. 

Continuing on your walk, you came across the little passage and went down it, picking up a flower along the way. Mayor Lewis was right; you couldn't miss the large fine-wood blue-roofed building even if you were blind. Unlike the other houses, this house had a full sized garage connected to it, which was strange because the only other person you knew of here that had a car was Mayor Lewis. Something else caught your eye- a... telescope? Maybe the stars were easier to see here than in the city. Just not something you were used to. 

Pushing the fine carpentry aside, you walked into the house. It was about 2:10-ish on a Tuesday, so you kind of expected someone to be attending to the empty desk. But the house was nice. It was large. To the left was some wood, pictures of houses you guessed Robin had worked on, and some chairs. To the right was a full on chemistry lab, and someone in it, too. 

You went up to the tall, blue-shirt-cargo-pants-wearing man and introduced yourself in a more professional way than the other people you had met, just because he seemed more professional. 

You saw that the man was scribbling down notes for something on a sketch pad, and you didn't want to interrupt him, but unfortunately for you, you had already started speaking. 

"Hello sir, my name's Y/N, and I'm the new farmer here." You made sure your posture was straight to go along with your professional voice and professional choice of words. Ooh, so fancy.

"Greetings! I'm Demetrius, local scientist and father. Thanks for introducing yourself!" He shook your hand. He seems like the 'cool parent'. 

Wait a second, parent? And he lives in the same house as Robin, so... they must...be married. You had called a married woman hot. And you had said it to your best friend, too. 

Trying to shake your thoughts, you asked him what he was writing down notes for. 

"I'm studying the local plants and animals from my home laboratory. Have you met my daughter Maru? She's interested to meet you." You guessed that was just an excuse for him to try and get you off his back, but hey, maybe she really did want to meet you. 

Well, you walked around that level of the house a little more and found a dining room but nothing else and no one else. You then walked down the stairs into a hallway to find... a door. A locked one, nonetheless. Someone must have been in the room because when you tried the door you heard a muffled 'go away, Mom'.

Hm. Wonder who that was. 

You sauntered back upstairs and out the door, and to your left into an area you hadn't been in before. You followed the path up two hills, where you found a tent, a bonfire, and a man in a yellow... uh... robe? sitting next to them. Why the fire though? Spring is pretty warm here.

"Hello?"

"A stranger?... Hello. I'm Linus. Don't mind me. I just live out here alone." You guessed he didn't wanna be messed with. Or talked to. You gave him the flower you found earlier. He thanked you, and you went to look over the small cliff to the right.

You saw a bunch of rocks and someone very slowly clearing them. You took note to come back to it at a later date. 

You decided against stopping into Linus's tent as you were walking back into the main area of the town, because it was probably small enough as is.

Down the path, down the steps, into town square, and into the pub you went. Hey, it's a nice way to meet people.

The place was barren! I mean, Gus was there of course, it's his Saloon after all, and it was 5:00 on a Tuesday... maybe that explains it. There was one other person there, though, and she looked like she was helping Gus. She was a real sight. A long red dress, dark blue shoes, and light blue hair. It wasn't that just the tips were dyed blue, it was from the roots down. 

You went to introduce yourself, and just as you did, you saw Pam walk in. You weren't really surprised.

"Hi, I'm Y/N. I just moved here. I live at the cottage." You smiled, but you felt more relaxed this time. She seemed pretty chill. 

"Ooh! I can read it on your face. You're going to love it here in Pelican Town. If you're ever looking for something to do in the evening, stop by the saloon! As you can see, that's where I work!" More people than you thought wanted to talk to you more than once. It's like you've been living here a month already. 

You left the building, not really in the mood (and too broke) for a drink, and headed back to your cottage for an early rest. 

You decided that tonight you weren't going to sleep in your overalls again, so you just slept in your undergarments. You laid awake in bed, already exhausted from having to meet so many people, and that was just the social aspect! You still needed to figure out what you were going to do with your farm, if you were going to go fishing often, how to run a business, and other things that would come up in the future. It was all so much to take in. 

And you had just barely skimmed the surface.


	9. Ocean Boy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Who is that boy?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter because I'm busy.
> 
> Why not leave a comment or kudos? It'll let me know that you're enjoying the story, and it's completely free!  
> Got any comments? Questions? Things you would like to see in the story? Grammar mistakes? Let me know!  
> -AsinineK9

Your eyes fluttered open at a little later than six AM. This was strange, because you were used to having to wake up at six exactly. You supposed it was because of the light- or lack thereof. It was raining outside. The next thing you noticed about the rain was the incessant thumping on the roof. It seemed to be amplified by the roof plating. Wait, wasn't the plating rubber? Whatever, you were too tired to care.

You clicked the black button on the bottom of the television after throwing on your overalls to find the same two shows to be the only interesting ones. 

You turned the weather on first simply because it was easier to click first. Tomorrow was going to be sunny and beautiful. If that would mean that more people would be out and about, then hey, that's great!

The fortune teller said the spirits were 'somewhat annoyed', and thus maybe today wouldn't be today. A good day, then, to learn how to roll with the punches in Pelican.

Maybe today you would go down to the beach to fish and earn some money. You could also probably go back to Robin's house and meet Maru like Demetrius said you should, you could check out the saloon again, and you should check the calendar too...

Your little thought bubble was popped by not being able to remember what the first thing on your mental list was, so you just thought that maybe doing one of the things on the list would help to refresh the others. The calendar was close, so why not?

The rain pelted you as soon as you stepped foot outside, but knowing that you would have to get used to it eventually, you continued on to the calendar, stopping to pick up wild horseradish and some flowers along the way. Something new was up on the board next to Pierre's. 

You read the new piece of paper and found that Demetrius needed wild horseradish. Hey, what a coincidence! You were planning to go up there anyway! And so, you did. 

The door was open, so you went in and held a small conversation with Robin and Demetrius, Robin subtly advertising her business, and Demetrius totally calling her out on it. You unnoticeably looked around for Maru or the other kid, whoever that might be, but saw that they were probably just somewhere in their rooms. You gave Demetrius the horseradish and went on your way. 

Although a long trip, you walked down to the beach and started fishing on the boardwalk.

Fishing was hard enough already, and then a person came down the boardwalk that you felt like you were obligated to impress. 

He wore a black sweatshirt and black skinny jeans, and sported a 2007 emo haircut. For a 2007 emo haircut, it wasn't too shabby. Obviously this was someone you hadn't met before, so you thought to introduce yourself.

"Hey." You mumbled. Wow. Nice.

You could tell that he heard you, but he decided to pretend that he didn't. 

"I'm Y/N, I just moved into the cottage by the bus stop." You didn't look over at him while saying talking to him because you were semi-deep in fish catching, and you suspected he didn't look over at you anyway.

Unbeknownst to you, he did. 

"The ocean is best enjoyed alone, don't you think?" His voice was a bit raspy, but not like Pam's. 

You didn't know how to respond to that, so you didn't.

It was about 5:00 by the time he left, and on his way out, he mentioned a little something. 

"I'm Sebastian, by the way."

Maybe the whole 'ocean should be enjoyed alone' thing wasn't supposed to be mean. There was something about the people in this town, that deep down, there was a little light in all of them.

You looked over at him, and all parts of him seemed to blend in with the dark clouds and rain above head. Another strange person to add to the list of people in this town that you would want to know more about.

You were so caught up in thought (as you often were) and watching him walk away that you didn't even realize the fish biting away at your pole.

As the mysterious boy sauntered up the boardwalk, he didn't look back.


	10. Discoveries and Drinks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wow ok so this is really OOC but that's f i n e  
> I know the beginning was a bit rough but I made up for it with the thing at the saloon. I hope you liked it! 
> 
> I really don't have much to say about this chapter. Thanks for your patience!  
> Why not leave a comment or kudos? It'll let me know that you're enjoying the story, and it's completely free!
> 
> Got any comments? Questions? Things you would like to see in the story? See any inaccuracies? Grammar mistakes? Let me know!  
> -AsinineK9

Friday, Spring 5th

After gathering all of your materials for the day, you stepped outside to find-

"All my parsnips have grown!" You exclaimed to no one. The rows of hard work popped up from the ground, ripe and ready to be picked. But before you let yourself get caught up in accomplishment, you noticed the little red thing on the mailbox was up again. 

You opened it to find a... blue envelope? This was either Blain trying to be fancy for once in her life, or it was... erm, something else. You opened the envelope and read the note aloud, again to no one. Next item on that mental list would be to make some friends.

"To our valued JojaMart customers:" Uh, what? You had quit your job at Joja specifically to get away from them. 

"Our team members have removed the landslide caused by our drilling operation near the mountain lake. I'd like to remind you that the drilling was legal, blah blah blah, continued support something something, 

Morris, Joja Customer Satisfaction Representative."

So a landslide was cleared over by Robin's house. Great! You put investigating that on the list after the previously mentioned thing that you didn't want to have to remind yourself of. Anyway, Your parsnips grew! Harvesting those would be a good idea! 

Squatting down, you grasped the leaves, pulled hard, and... tore some of the leaves out, falling on your bottom. Okay, so you were a city kid. But you weren't dumb. You've seen this done before in movies and books and stuff, so it shouldn't be so hard. You leveled yourself again, grasped the rest of the leaves, and pulled up. It popped out of the ground easier than expected, so you fell, again. Your first harvest! This one should be saved for you. Biting into it, you were met with a mouth full of dirt, success, and parsnip. 

Full of pride, you pulled up the rest of the thirty-something (fourty-something?) parsnips, and put them in the box. 

Crossing 'grow something' off of your mental list, you moved to your most recent addition to that list, which was to check out that landslide clearing. However, while walking over you were caught Mayor Lewis looking, in what seemed distress, at that old abandoned building that you had passes a few times. 

"Oh, hi there," he said a bit surprised. You went over and stood next to him. 

"What an eyesore..." He sounded upset, as if it almost pained him to say anything bad about the building in front of the both of you. He was right, though. The brown, pointed-top building had holes in it's wood where moss took it's place, vines grew up it's side and through the windows, and the large clock above the door was stuck in place and chipped from either age or defacement. Faded letters adjacent to the clock could be made out to read, 'Pelican Town'.

Reading your mind, he told you, "This is the Pelican Town Community Center... or what's left of it anyway. After a moment of silence, he continued. "It used to be the pride and joy of the town... always bustling with activity. Now... just look at it. It's shameful. These days, the young folk would rather sit in front of the TV than engage with the community."

You felt a bit guilty, but also a bit offended. You are that young folk. Guilty because when you got home from work that's all you and Blain would do. Watch Netflix, try to catch the next episode of whatever. Offended because you had moved here to escape that life, and besides the occasional 'Queen of Sauce' or 'Living Off the Land', you had been pretty busy with farming and interacting with the community. However, you're sure he didn't mean anything by it.

"But listen to me, I sound like an old fool."

He stepped a bit closer to the creaky pile of wood and put his hand on the door. "Joja Corporation has been hounding me to sell them the land so they can turn it into a warehouse. Pelican Town could use the money, but there's something stopping me from selling it... I guess old timers like me get attached to relics of the past... Ah well."

He turned back to you, his expression somber. "If anyone else buys a Joja Co. Membership I'm just gonna go ahead and sell it." He let out a deep sigh. "Here, let's go inside..."

Your feet padded up the cracked stone steps and you pushed past the creaking wooden door. Mayor Lewis looked around and seemed confused. "Hmm? What's this?" You noticed he was eyeing what seemed to be a little fort made of leaves and... bricks? Dirt blocks? Bark? hard to tell. 

"I guess Vincent and Jas must have been playing in here," he assumed. To you it sounded like he had to unlock the door before he opened it, so his assumption didn't make much sense, but the building was so broken that there was probably a hole in the all somewhere just big enough that Jas and Vince could get through. 

"This place is even more dilapidated than I remember," he commented.

Suddenly, you noticed a motion behind him that you thought would just be rats, but when you looked over you saw a... moving green apple? With a face? And arms and legs? And it was waving at you? What? Something so out of the ordinary would cause anyone to jump back, yourself included. 

"What?" Mayor Lewis asked, a bit concerned.

"The... the..." Words seemed to be failing you, so you simply pointed. As soon as he turned to look, the thing disappeared into thin air. His eyes swept the room, looking for anything out of the ordinary, but there was nothing there, so he obviously didn't notice anything.

"What's the matter? Are you ill?" If it were anyone but him asking, you would be sure that they were being rude. 

"No, no... I swear I saw something there! It was moving! I..." You tried to prove while walking to the spot where the bright green thing was. 

He stepped over to you. "You saw something? Hmm... I wouldn't be surprised if this place was full of rats." And then suddenly, it, or another one, appeared behind him again!

"There it is! Right there!" You jumped, as if that would prove your point further. The wind chimes mocked you with their continuous chiming. 

Just like last time, the thing disappeared, and he saw nothing. "You're worrying me, Y/N..."

You decided to accept that you had just been seeing things, but deep down, you knew you weren't. 

"Look, I think I'm going to head home. I need some lunch." He started to make his way back out, but then turned, "Hey. I'll keep this place unlocked from now on... maybe you can help catch that rat if you have some extra time." With that, he left. 

Strange, you thought. I'll add 'looking around the building that could collapse on me at any second' to my mental list. 

After a hesitant moment you walked out and continued with your original task. 

_______________________

Through the clearing and up the path you went, passing by Robin's house, passing by the tent- oh, what the heck. Why not say hello to Linus. 

"Hi, Linus!" You chimed, strolling up to the man sitting by his fire. 

"Please don't destroy my tent." Okay, maybe not the day to chat. 

"See ya, Linus!" And you went back to looking. 

Clearing by the river... clearing by the river... Then, you remembered. Oh! I was here a few days ago! But it was still be cleared at that time. Well, duh. 

In place of the pile of rocks was a door leading into the mountain. Well, this was kinda all you had planned for today. When you walked into the mountain, you saw a man there too. He had grey hair, he was so thin you could see his bones, he sported a red cape and an eyepatch, and was peering into a hole with a ladder leading down into it. You went over and looked in it. 

"Hmm... I was just peering down into this old mine shaft. It's been abandoned for decades. Still there's probably good ore down there. But a dark place, undisturbed for so long, I'm afraid ore isn't the only thing you'll find..." His voice was scratchy and deep. Something that caught your attention was how he talked about the mine as if I was going down into it. Well, like you said... this was really the only thing planned for today. 

He looked up at you. "Here, take this. You might need it." He held an old, rusty sword out to you. You took it without a word. 

"Name's Marlon, by the way. I run the adventurer's guild right outside. I'll keep an eye on you. Prove yourself and I might think about making you a member." And, just like everyone else, with that, he left. 

Well, you had a pickaxe to mine with, you had a sword to fight with, and you had feet that were taking you down into the mine whether you liked it or not.

___________________________

It was quiet and dark, the only light being an oil lamp hung next to the ladder, and the only noise being the wind and the occasional 'plit' of water dropping from the ceiling. Your surroundings gave you an eerie feeling. It was much smaller than you expected. You thought that an old mine would be much bigger. You started to pick away at some rocks. 

You swung your pickaxe at several different pointy figures until one in particular broke to reveal another ladder leading down further. You wondered how far down it went, and you weren't going to find out by just standing there, so you carefully stepped down the old ladder to the next floor. 

As soon as you got down, you saw one o those things that you saw earlier in the community center- or at least something that looked like it. This thing didn't have arms or legs. This one was all blobby and slimy. Why not call it a slime?

"Hey little fella..." You reached over to touch the potentially hostile creature, and realizing that it was potentially hostile, snatched your hand back. It then jumped at you, and you swung at it with your sword, like a natural, might I add, and killed it. Bits of its sliminess came off of it when you had slain the beast, and so you kept them. 

You kept mining and battling until something shiny caught your eye, and so you picked it up. You had learned about this in school- it was quartz. You kept it. You found a few more and kept those, too. 

You mined for a while.

At about 5:00 you thought it best head back to your farm. Your pockets were a bit full, anyway. However, upon walking through town, you noticed that a lot of people were going to the Saloon. You thought about going in there too. It'd be a great way to socialize.

___________

The familiar smell of the saloon engulfed you, and soon you felt all warm and fuzzy inside. Playful piano music was coming from the jukebox, and the fire was going. People of the town sat together and drank and ate and talked. It gave such a great sense of family in the community. You strolled to the side room where a game of pool was taking place between Sam and Sebastian. Abbigail sat watching from a bright blue couch in the corner of the room. A Joja Cola sat on the edge of Sam's side of the pool table. 

"Not fair!" Sam exclaimed, standing up straight and balling his fists. Sebastian only laughed. You guessed he didn't laugh much, because he seemed to shock himself. His laughter died down when he saw you enter the room. Sam must have noticed because he turned around to see who it was. 

"Oh hey, farmer girl." Sam waved and smiled. Sebastian tried to get Sam to keep playing the game, trying to avoid eye contact with you in any way possible. He seemed a little awkward socially, and he was probably still thinking about the strange encounter you two had had a few days prior. 

"Farmer girl has a name," you smirked. Sam just giggled and kept playing pool. You stood at the side of the table, watching the game unfold. During the middle of it all, Sebastian noticed something in your pocket and asked you about it. 

"What's that?" He asked, and pointed to one of the many overflowing pockets on your overalls. 

You reached into your pocket and pulled out a sparkling chunk of quartz. His eyes seemed to sparkle almost as much.

"Oh I was in the old mines- y'know, we all got a letter about like a landslide clearing this morning, and so I went to check it out, and it turns out that there was some old mineshaft or something behind the landslide, so I went down into it and found some of this stuff." You held it up. 

"That's cool," He remarked. A moment of silence and decision went by.

"Here. I found more than just one piece. You can have this one if you want it." You held it out to him.

As he took it, your hands brushed. His skin was soft.

He held it carefully in both hands as to not drop it. "Thanks Y/N, I appreciate it."

He set it down onto the table in the the corner of the room and kept playing pool with Sam. You still stood watching the striped balls clack into each other. "I play winner." 

"Too late, I already called playing winner." Abigail popped up and stepped over to the table to stand next to Sebastian. Her tone was harsh. Was she trying to threaten you? She seemed so shy, there's no way she really was. She then put her hand on Sebastian's shoulder. Her eyes stared straight through your soul. She was definitely threatening you. What for? You weren't into Sebastian. You gave him a gift to try and be friends with him. I mean sure he's cute and all but... well... maybe-

Your thoughts were interrupted by an angry Sam and a smirking Sebastian. 

"Game over," said Sebastian. 

"How are you so good at this?" Sam asked him rhetorically. 

The conversation carried on. You could feel Abby's eyes on you as you left the Saloon. Chills ran up your spine.

______________

Tired and a bit worn from mining and social interaction, you walked back over to your cottage, taking note of the empty crop field and how you need to build something to hold all of your extra stuff. Your overalls have pockets, but not a million. All things to take care of in the morning. 

When in bed, you somehow couldn't sleep. The lights were off, it wasn't particularly noisy, but still... all you seemed to be able to do was stare up at the wooden ceiling. 

What was I thinking? 'I found more than one piece, so you can have this one', as if I was just gonna brag to him about it and then not let him have it? Well I mean I wasn't obligated to give it to him just by talking about it, but still. That was embarrassing. 

You shoved your face into your pillow and did what you could to muffle the thoughts.


	11. Pay Attention

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More smol emo boi

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short, not great chapter. Sorry about that. I'm really tired but I felt bad about not posting anything in a while.  
> Hey quick question- what should I do for future chapters? I'm finding myself at an impasse, and it doesn't feel like writer's block. Obviously I'll do more stuff with Seb, but besides that? 
> 
> Why not leave a comment or a vote? It'll let me know that you're enjoying the story, and it's completely free!   
> Got any comments? Questions? Things you would like to see in the story? See any inaccuracies? Grammar mistakes? Let me know!  
> -AsinineK9

Saturday, Spring 6th

Instead of the usual of 'sleep until the sun wakes you up' or the occasional 'sleep until your bladder wakes you up', you were awoken by a knock at your door. You were a bit t'd off by this person already, and they hadn't even said anything yet. You didn't even know who it was. 

Instead of just wondering about who this person that woke you was, you shuffled on some clothing and went to see for yourself. Still very groggy, you managed to open both the door and your eyes. It was someone you hadn't seen before. He had a brown mustache, a brown beard, and matted brown hair to match his brown apron. His apron draped over his grey sweater and blue jeans. He had a full figure and smelt of coal. 

"Uh... hi there. Good morning." His voice was deep, and he didn't seem mean, but he didn't exactly seem like the friendly type. 

"G'morning," you mumbled while stretching your arms unconsciously. 

"I noticed that you've been breaking some rocks open and finding ore. That's good!" 

"Mhm." You rubbed your eyes, still partly listening.

"If you want to get the most out of the ores you find, you're going to need a furnace. Just so happens I had an extra pair of blueprints lying around. Here, I want you to have them." He pulled out a stack of papers that were disappointingly not blue, but still had some kind of instructions on them. You gladly took them.

"Thanks, uh..." You looked at him expectantly. 

"Clint."

"Right."

"The furnace allows you to smelt metal bars. The bars can be used for crafting, construction, and tool upgrades." What struck you throughout this conversation was that he didn't smile or frown, the tone in his voice didn't really change at any point although it wasn't monotone, and he showed no particular emotion. He was completely neutral. You thought back. Every other person you had met had some distinct personality. Sam was the happy, go-lucky type, Alex was the sporty type, Robin was the chill mom... the closest to Clint that you had met so far was Sebastian because they both were socially awkward around people they didn't know well, but even Sebastian was known as the emo kid. But hey, Clint gave you a gift, so at least he was nice. He was good in your book.

"When you've smelted a few copper bars, consider having me upgrade one of your tools. It can make your work a lot easier." You might have to eventually take him up on that offer.

"Well, okay. I'm heading home. Take it easy." He waved, and left a still yawning you to go back to your business. You were already up, so you it would be pointless to go back to sleep. You grabbed your tools and headed out for the day.

The first thing you noticed was that, again, the red thing on the mailbox was up. You opened it to find two letters, one with an envelope sloppily stamped with 'PIERRE'S' on the front. Pierre must have had that stamp custom made. You chuckled at the thought. 

The first word on the page was 'ADVERTISEMENT' in all caps. You had figured that much out already. 

'ADVERTISEMENT:

"I keep finding cool stuff, but my backpack is full!" 

Does this sound like you?' Change backpack to pockets, and then yeah, it does.

'Well, Pierre's got you covered! Stop by Pierre's General Store TODAY and check out our affordable size 24 backpack! See you soon!'

That sounded like the script to an infomercial. You pondered going and buying it today, as you had most likely made enough money off of the parsnips to buy the pack for however much it cost.

You moved on to the next letter, which wasn't in an envelope. 

'I see you've been exploring the old mine. You've got the adventurer's spirit, that much I can tell. if you can slay 10 slimes, you'll have earned your place in my adventurer's guild. Be careful. 

-Marlon'

 

You were quite fond of the mine, despite only being there for one day and only going about 7 floors down. You hadn't a clue why you liked it, but you did. Plus, slaying 10 slimes would be easy. you had already slain two. What difference would eight more make?

Your mental list had only gotten longer and longer, but you would have to add another box to it when you looked out onto your empty farm field. You supposed that you had made a decent amount of money from putting your parsnip harvest in the box yesterday, so you went to open the box and check it out.

When you opened the box, you found an item that could only be described as a sack. A lumpy brown sack with two strings on it. You took this sack and pulled it open to find more money than you expected, but you weren't complaining. Going back to your train of thought, it would be wise to use this money to buy more seeds. However, going even further back to a previous train of thought, it would also be wise to use this money to buy the 24 pack.

Yes, but you need seeds to grow more parsnips to sell and make more money.

But with the pack you could hold more stuff when you go mining to build more things to use to make more money. 

When are you planning to go mining again? Yesterday was one time!

You argued back and forth with yourself.

Decisions, decisions, you thought.

Either way you needed to go to Pierre's, so that's where you started going. 

On the way there, you noticed the pretty pink pollen floating about in the air. It reminded you of visiting here with your grandpa when you were younger. You had only been in Pelican Town once, and that was when you were a baby, but you remembered liking the unusually large pollen. 

Pierre's wasn't open yet, as it was still pretty early. Your patience expired easily, and soon you were looking for other things to stimulate you other than just looking at the sky. Out of the corner of your eye you spotted... no, you couldn't. It was a quick, crazy thought that you were not going to act on. Digging around in someone's trashcan- any trashcan, is a bad idea. 

...it couldn't hurt to peek. No one else was around. 

What? No! 

...There wasn't even anything in that one. 

As soon as you knew it, you had checked every can in sight. You didn't find anything, but... what if you did? 

Amidst your trashy thoughts, Pierre had turned the sign on his door from 'CLOSED' to 'OPEN'. You pushed through the glass doors and pondered if you should get the seeds or the backpack. You managed to convince yourself that the backpack would be a better idea. It could carry the fish you collected, minerals you find if you decide to go back into the mines, help with farming in general. You stepped up to the counter and propped the backpack up onto the checkout. 

"Good morning, Y/N. How are you doing this fine morning?" He chimed as he took the pack to ring it up.

"I'm doing well. Just a lot on my mind. Things are piling up on me quicker than I thought," you spilled your thoughts to him. 

"Ah yes. I'm sure moving is a hassle. I wouldn't know though, I've lived here my whole life."

"Is that so?" 

"Yes, actually. This was my father's store and house before it was mine. He just passed it down to me after he, well, passed. I was raised here. That'll be two-thousand G."

How does that fit in to his story? He must have noticed your confusion, because he clarified:

"The backpack will be two-thousand G." 

"Ah! Yeah, got it." You then realized that you had forgotten to check the price before you had put it up on the counter. Two-thousand? Isn't that a bit much? Nevertheless, you paid. You spent the rest of what you had on parsnip seeds.

That ate through 2000+ bucks. Great.

You went back to your farm and planted the 'snips and went back into the city. 

You were set to take on Marlon's request and kill some slimes. The trek up to the cave wasn't very appetizing, but it was something to do.

On your way to the mines you had passed by Sebastian's house. Weird kid. You had also run into Linus, and even though he wasn't the nicest, you gave him a flower that you had picked up while walking over. He thanked you kindly.

The mines were still a bit strange to be in, as you were coming from a big city and had never done this kind of thing before. A few slimes had come your way while you were breaking rocks, but it wasn't anything you couldn't handle. That is, until you climbed down the ladder to a room completely covered in green slime. Shocking! And gross. 

The room wasn't only covered in green slime, it was also filled to the brim with them. This would be a testament to your skill. Swinging and slashing, you fought your way through the room. You found slimes as little as your toes, and slimes as big as, well, you. You had obviously slain enough slimes to enter Marlon's 'Adventurer's Guild' or whatever that was. You mined for a bit longer just to collect some rocks and more quartz. Something compelled you to keep the quartz around instead of selling it.

You wiped the left over slime bits off of your clothes, sword, and shiny new backpack.

Exiting the cave felt like entering a new world. The fluffy pink pollen looked even more magical in the dull light of the moon. While walking home, you took out some of your findings just to get a good look at them. Sebastian was right to like the quartz- it really was wonderful. Speaking of-

With your head buried in today's physical progress, you barely noticed the hooded figure also not looking where they were going. Then, as fate (or maybe its the author idk) would have it, you bumped into each other, making you drop the quartz that you were admiring. You both scrambled to the ground to pick up the fallen items, frantically apologizing to each other in the process. The figure's hand had been accidentally placed atop yours while reaching for the quartz. Like a scene from one of those cheesy rom-coms you and Blain would watch together, you looked up at the person, and they looked at you. 

And through the frantic apologizing came a silence. And then it broke.

"Um, sorry about that, I was just down in the mines and I was," you took a deep breath "just kinda distracted by sorting through what I got. Sorry."

"It's okay, I should have been looking where I was going anyway." He picked up a cigarette that he had dropped and put it out before standing back up. He helped you up and you shoved all the quartz back in your bag, well, except for one piece that he was still holding. 

You slung the backpack over your shoulder. "I should get back to the cottage. See you sometime." 

"Wait, you-" he tried calling out to you once he realized that he still had something of yours, but you were too far gone to hear him. 

He was left there standing with nothing but the quartz, his cigarette, and himself.

 

 

 

 

"I don't know Blain, it was like, a shock, or something."

"Like static electricity?" She chuckled.

"Less literal, but... yeah."


	12. A Day With Sam

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A nice talk with your new friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow this chapter was bad. I seem to say that about every chapter, don't I?
> 
> Why not leave a comment or a vote? It'll let me know that you're enjoying the story, and it's completely free!  
> Got any comments? Questions? Things you would like to see in the story? See any inaccuracies? Grammar mistakes? Let me know!  
> -AsinineK9

Spring 12th, Year 1

Your phone buzzed like no tomorrow. Blain was obsessing over you having a strange feeling about Sebastian and she wouldn't drop it (as you had asked her to multiple times) until you 'admitted' that you had a crush on him. But there was nothing to admit. You stopped tilling the soil and took out your phone, because the amount of vibrations coming from it had almost numbed your thigh.

The screen was lined with notifications.  
6:46 am, Blain: Y/N...  
6:47 am, Blain: oh come on!! Don't leave me on read!!!  
6:47 am, Blain: just say it already.   
6:47 am, Blain: YOU  
6:48 am, Blain: LIKE  
6:48 am, Blain: HIM!

Unlocking the phone, you started to think of anything to make Blain shut up.

Y/N: a. No i dont b. Don't you have anything better to do?

Blain: haha probably but my dead grandpa doesn't have a farm I can run away to

Y/N: Harsh.  
Y/N: I didn't even say I have feelings for him

Blain: you said you felt something!

Y/N: So? It could be that I'm really creeped out by him  
Y/N: he spends all day in his basement anyway  
Y/N: What if I just want to be friends with him?

Blain: Blehhhhh that's no fun I can't tease you then  
Blain: But you didn't say you felt like this for anyone else!

Y/N: there's this cute guy I've seen around Pelican  
Y/N: his name is like Sam

About a minute went by before you got a response.

Blain: The anime hair dude?

What? How did she...? Hold on-

"Blain!" You yelled into the phone.  
She responded with a gut-shaking laugh.  
"You stalking me or something?" She laughed harder at your stern tone.   
"There's a community page on Facebook with pictures of some of the people there. Hey, there's you!" She stated after her laughing fit. You would have to check out that community page later though, because you didn't have any recollection of anyone taking pictures of you.

"He seems to spend a lot of time with Sebastian." She commented, sounding amused.

"How do you know which one is Sebastian?"

"Exactly what you said- I based it off of your description. I looked for a guy who looks like he spends a lot of time in a basement. He has terrible posture. He probably spends all that time in the basement jack-"

"Blain!" Now you were just disappointed. She laughed again. "Even if I did like him, which I don't, Blain, there's already someone pining over him. And she seems pretty..."

"Protective?"

"Territorial."

"Ooh. Which one?" She asked, fingers at the ready to look through the community page.

"Purple hair."

"Pierre's kid?"

"That's the one."

"Well of course they would like each other;" she stated the obvious, "they're the emo boy and the emo girl."

Of course they would like each other? When did she get the impression that he likes her?

"How do you know that he likes her? Are they like, in a relationship?"

"Why, you jealous?"

Tired of Blain, you hung up and put your phone on silent. That was enough of that.

Focusing back on the real world, you planted whatever seeds were in your pocket and started the day.

It was another day of not knowing what to do. Mining? Sure, but you weren't in the mood. You could chop down some trees to save up to build something, or go fishing to save up some money... eh. You could go out and talk to someone? That was doable.

You skipped down the gravel path until it became stone and you had arrived in the town square. Happiness warmed your body as you thought that this was going to be a relaxing day. It was quiet, as you were the only one up at this time, but it was a pleasant feeling. You quickly searched the trash cans, as it had (unfortunately) become a daily routine. You didn't find anything, but it was rare that you did, so it didn't really bother you.

You came across Sam, after dusting the garbage smell off of you, of course, and went up to talk to him. You had been talking to him a lot in the past few days, as he was really kind and cheery. You hung out in his room sometimes. When he wasn't in his room it was hard to talk to him because he was usually with Sebastian, and where there was Sebastian, there was Abigail, ready to gouge your eyes out with the nearest spoon. You shared interests such as a love of music and little kids. Vincent had grown fond of you, though that's not saying much, because Vincent was fond of everyone.

"Hey Sam!" You smiled.

"Oh, hey Y/N! How are you?"

"I'm well, I guess. Hey- do you know something about a Pelican Town community page?" You asked, trying to sound normal.

"Oh yeah. Haley photographs for it, and I'm pretty sure it's Mayor Lewis or Pierre that runs it. Why?" He informed you, his eyes occasionally darting back toward his house.

"I just didn't know about it," you shrugged," and a friend from back home told me that she saw it." He then produced a small strange look that you could only guess was hurt, because wasn't this your home now?

"It's not particularly interesting, it just keeps people up to date on things, I guess." He shrugged back.

"What people? We've got the calendar in town square," you pointed behind you, "and we're the only ones who come to town events anyways."

"I'd like to think my dad looks at it in his free time."

"Your dad?" Perhaps it was a mistake to ask him who his dad was, because you didn't know him that well, and who were you to ask about his missing family that you didn't even know existed?

"Yeah, I mean, he's like in the army, and doing- just doing his own stuff- it- it's not that im-" he tried his best to explain, although it seemed to hurt him. He had a past, you got it. So did everyone. Thankfully, Vincent came barreling out of his and Sam's house in his swim shorts, carrying a bright orange bucket and shovel.

"Sam!" He jumped toward Sam, grasping at his older brother's jacket, making him stumble forward. Sam immediately perked up and put on his 'older brother' voice.

"So Vince and I were heading to the beach-"

"THE BEACH!" Vincent echoed.

"and -Vince, please don't interrupt- you are welcome to tag along if you'd like. However I assume you would be busy, growing plants and taking care of animals and such." He chuckled. You didn't have any animals just yet, but it was definitely something to think of.

"I could stop by for a little bit. I didn't really have any plans today." You crouched down to Vincent's height and smiled, this time you putting on an older sibling voice, "You hear that, Vincent? I can come and play for a little bit!"

"Cool!" His eyes seemed to sparkle in that way that little kid's eyes do. He then took a fistful of your overalls and pulled both you and Sam towards the beach, the neon bucket slung over his shoulder rattling the whole way there.

_____________

"So what do you think of the town so far?" He turned to look at you. The both of you were laying at the water's edge, staring up at the sky's blue abyss. You had your hands behind your head to prevent sand from getting into your hair, although you didn't think that was working so well. It didn't matter really. Several shells were strayed across Sam's chest, as Vincent would put them there whenever he found a new interesting one.

"It's nice. I've never really farmed before, but that's going better than expected." You stayed looking at the sky. 

"I meant the town specifically. Or like, the people in the town."

"Ah, so you're fishing for compliments." You pointed finger guns at him and made a small clicking noise. "Got it."

"Uh, no!" He defended himself, sitting up to show the offense taken, not caring about the numerous shells spilling off of him. "I just," he laid back down, "wanted to know how people are treating you."

"Yeah, sure. But it's been fine here. I think I've met pretty much everyone by this point, and they've all been-" Then a certain memory struck you. You could almost feel the same chills running down your back. "relatively nice."

"Relatively?"

"When I first started talking to you guys in the saloon, Abbigail was kinda mean."

"That's weird. She's been one of my closest friends for several years. We go way back, and from what I know, or at least what she's presented, she wouldn't hurt a fly." You were surprised by this, but you also thought that he was perhaps projecting his own views onto Abbigail. She seemed like an "angsty-teen-in-her-early-twenties" scenario that would probably hurt more than a fly.

"I don't really think that 'mean' is the right word, necessarily, but more..." the word echoed in your head. Territorial.

"More what?" Sam turned to you once again.

"More... agh, I can't say it." You quickly glanced over to Sam, who showed that he was confused at the least. "Okay like- so you know how you guys are friends with Sebastian too?" You weren't sure where you were going with this.

"Yeah?"

"Are Abbigail and Sebastian friends, or friends friends?" You asked in a suggestive tone, cocking your head and raising your eyebrows at your newfound friend. You were surprised at how straight to the point you sounded, especially after stumbling over your words previously.

Sam started laughing. "So that's what you're on about. Why, are you jealous?" He mocked you.

"Ugh!" You rolled your eyes. You had already gotten your fill of people thinking you had a crush on Sebastian this morning from Blain.

Once his continuous laughter stopped, he answered you seriously, "But no, Seb and Abby aren't together or doing it."

A blush spread across your cheeks. "Not what I was suggesting, but okay."

A moment of silence went by as Sam debated what he should say next.

"Okay, I'm going to let you in on a little secret. Well I mean, it's not so much a secret because it's obvious, but I'll tell you anyway." You turned your full body to him. He was gossiping to you! The true mark of a budding friendship.

"Abbigail has always had a huge crush on Sebastian, but Sebastian has never returned the feelings. He either is so blatantly ignorant that he doesn't know she likes him, or he does know but doesn't feel the same." He seemed excited to spill the tea to someone. Abby and Sebastian were probably his only two friends, as Pelican was a small town, so he couldn't go telling drama about Abbigail and Sebastian to Abbigail and Sebastian.

"So what do you think about all this? Can you see them together?" You held back the urge to say 'do you ship them?'

His smile instantly faded. "I... don't know really. I feel bad for Abby, she's one of my favorite people, and I want her to have what she wants and be happy. But at the same time I don't think that Sebastian and her would work. She's not good for him." Interesting choice of words, you thought. Strange of him to focus more on Abbigail's feelings than Seb's. "Why do you ask?"

Another moment of realization struck. Why did you care so much? It was most likely because Sebastian was nice and you wanted to be a good friend. But the way you were saying things, conveying your feelings... it didn't make sense. So then was that it? You didn't know why you were so, dare I say obsessed, with Sebastian?

"I... don't know. Yeah, I dunno." You turned back to lying on your back, and so did he. Soon enough, Vincent was passed out on his back next to Sam, parts of his face covered with sticky sand. It had been a few hours, and you should probably do something productive today.

You went back to your farm to chop down some trees, or go fishing, or... it kept coming up in your mind. Why? Why were you so obsessed with Sebastian? On top of that, you didn't know why you were so obsessed with wondering why you were so obsessed with Sebastian. You sighed. What a vicious cycle.

You chopped down trees mindlessly as the day got later and later. Tomorrow was the egg festival. You wondered if Sam would be there to talk to. You wondered if Abbigail was going to be there to get in your way of Sebastian. And you wondered if Sebastian was going to be there to... well, you didn't quite know why you wondered if Sebastian was going to be there.


	13. Egg Festival

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the Egg Festival! But of course, you run off with your friends and things quickly go wrong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look, I know that "Abbigail" is only supposed to have one "b", but I've written too many times to change it.
> 
> I really don't have much to say about this chapter. It's okay. It's good I guess. I wrote it instead of doing my homework. Also, turns out my computer hates me and decided to delete all of my notes that I was saving for future reference on this story. Yaaaay.
> 
> Why not leave a comment or a vote? It'll let me know that you're enjoying the story, and it's completely free!  
> Got any comments? Questions? Things you would like to see in the story? See any inaccuracies? Grammar mistakes? Let me know!  
> -AsinineK9

The feelings evoked were those of a little kid. An Easter egg hunt. You were so embarrassingly excited about this that you almost forgot to water your crops.   
It was a perfect sunny day for an egg hunt. The birds were chirping, the flowers were blooming, and you were dead set on winning. It didn't matter what the prize was, but you were going to get it. You knew you would probably be the only adult participating, but there were only two kids in all of Pelican, and that's no fun! 

Arriving in the square was quite a sight to see. There was a booth with Pierre selling things (of course), there was confetti everywhere, and people scattered around waiting for the competition to start. Or not. Someone, I'm sure you could guess who, looked as if they had been forced to be there.

He was leaning against a lamp post, talking to Abbigail - ew - and Sam. You thought that talking to Sam would be ideal, as you two had spent a decent amount of time together over the past few days. As you walked over to him, you felt eyes on you, and then you saw them too- Sebastian's cold, crisp grey eyes cutting through you- or were they? His face was flat. Monotone in an expression. But his eyes were gentle, looking at you.

It didn't matter, because they were hidden beneath dark side bangs and hoodie in a matter of seconds.

"Hey Sam," you spouted cheerfully. "Seb." You nodded towards him. "Abbigail." Good thing your mother taught you how to force a smile.

You're sure she would have sneered at you had her emo boyfriend not been right there. 'They're not a thing' Blain said. Blain didn't know anything. But why should it matter to you?

As soon as you arrived, the conversation seemed to have stopped altogether.

"So... you excited for the egg hunt?" A nervous chuckle followed.   
"Yeah, actually. You're looking at an undefeated egg hunt champion." Abbigail stated, pointing at herself. Oh. Well now you have to win. 

"Oh am I? Well you're looking at the player that's going to break that undefeated streak." You exaggeratedly pointed at yourself to play-mock Abby. 

Sam snorted. "Don't get cocky, y/n. Abby's won every year since she started playing. Plus, she's been here longer than you and knows the main spots where they hide the eggs. The odds are pretty stacked against you."

"Um, okay, wow, thanks for having faith in me, and besides, who cares about odds? I, someone who kills every plant she touches, moved from a big city where I majored in computer science to a farm to make a living. I beat the odds thirteen days ago. The odds can't touch me." Your little speech left Sam chuckling. 

"Whatever you say. Just don't bet money on it." Abby said, although you couldn't tell if her tone was playful or serious. 

"What about you, Seb? You doing this too?" You asked. You felt kind of bad that Sebastian hadn't participated in the conversation. 

"Heh, no, I'm not so much into the egg hunt. I'll pull a prank some other day."

"A prank?" 

"Yeah, during these big festivals, Abby, Seb, and I usually pull some kind of prank, on the town," Sam explained, "just for fun."

"Or to get on the Mayor's nerves," Sebastian chimed in. Abby giggled flirtatiously. 

"Speaking of the mayor, I'll go talk to him so we can get this thing started, I'm ready to win!" Abbigail ran off. You had to stop yourself from commenting something like, "over my dead body!" or "you wish!", because you felt like it wasn't your place. You weren't that good of friends with Abbigail yet. In fact, you hoped to never be. 

"Well, I'll be over on the sidelines. Talk to you later," Sebastian said. You wondered if he meant that.

"No offense, but I'll be rooting for myself," he grinned stepped over to the circle. You followed close behind.

"You're participating?"

"Well... yeah. I usually just hang with Seb, but Vincent really wanted me to join this year." He rolled his eyes.

"Aw. I think that's really cute." You really did. Vincent was just the sweetest little kid. 

"Try living with him for a change." He snarled. You pity laughed, but in reality you would actually like to try it. You've always wondered what it would be like to live life with a younger sibling.

"Okay everyone, gather around!" Mayor Lewis's voice called, and people started to crowd around the village circle. 

You, Abbigail, Vincent, Jas, Sam, and Maru all stood together facing Mayor Lewis.

"It's time for the highlight of today's activities... the annual Spring Egg Hunt!" He exclaimed. Jas and Vincent jumped up and down a few times, yelling to each other. 

"Calm down now, kiddos. You're going to need all your energy if you hope to find the most eggs and take home the exclusive prize," he explained. Abbigail flipped her hair when she heard the words "exclusive prize". Why did it mean so much to her? Tch. 

Vincent and Jas kept glancing back and forth at each other. You and Sam exchanged smiles. 

"Now... is everyone ready?"

No one answered. The air swirled with anticipation. 

"You have 50 seconds. Let the egg hunt begin!" All the participants took off running, including yourself. 

You weren't sure where to look, so you went down towards the beach. You picked up a few behind bushes and one in the graveyard. There was one that was on the inside of Mayor Lewis' fence, but you weren't about to go hop over in to his property for an egg. In the corner of your eye, you spotted an egg by a tree. You ran over and bent down to pick up up, only to knock heads with someone. It was none other than the egg hunt champion herself, Abbigail.

She seemed angry. Like her life depended on this kid's egg hunt. "Lay off."

Maybe banging heads gave you a concussion, or maybe it was Abbigail stupidly implying that running into her was your fault (or maybe she was implying about Sebastian), but you were stunned and couldn't move, so she took the egg and kept going. You did manage to catch a glimpse of her egg stack, and it turns out that she really did live up to her egg-hunt-champion nickname. She had at least four more than you.

You got up to keep running, but you heard a whistle blow, and just like that, it was over.  
The eggs were counted, and yeah, she won. Vincent almost started to cry, but Sam and you picked him up and told him that next year would be his year.

Abbigail collected her prize, a handmade straw hat, and strutted over to Sebastian. Abbigail beckoned Sam, and you followed him.

Abbigail was all over Sebastian, and Sebastian... didn't really seem to mind it. Either this had gone on for so long that he was just used to it, or they were a thing. You suspected the ladder. Blain had to be wrong.

"Sebby, don't I look cute?" She chimed. Sebastian nodded nonchalantly.

"Adorable!" Sam clapped as Abby struck a few poses. Most of them involved leaning on Sebastian. God, what a dog! Was Sebastian her property or something?

"So how did you guys do?" And for the first time that day, Sebastian put his hoodie hood down.

"I ended up with eleven," Abby answered. Even when she was just answering she seemed like she was gloating. 

"I got, like, three," Sam cringed with embarrassment.

"What about you, y/n? What'd you get?" Sebastian faced you.

"Oh," you said, wracking your mind because it went blank all of a sudden, "seven or so." You shrugged. 

"That's pretty good for a first time." Did he... did he smile while saying that? It was small, but you thought you saw a smile. Maybe it was just your imagination.

"Oh, I'm not so sure..." 

"Hey, I got zero this year, so at least it's better than me." He laughed. He had a cute, small laugh. That made you smile, and your cheeks got warm. A few moments of silence went by, before Sam helped to carry on the conversation.

"So, y/n, the festival is going to last for a little while longer, so Seb, Abby, and I were going to hang out in the forest. You're welcome to come, if you want," he offered. 

"But I'm sure you've got a bunch of farming stuff to do-" and oh yes, you did. But seeing Abbigail wrapped around Sebastian, seeing how uncomfortable you were making her purely by existing, well, maybe you could put your farm stuff off until later. Did that make you mean? Sure. But so was Abbigail.

"Oh please, I can take a break from farm stuff." You passed it off as if it were no big deal.

"Oh, good," Abbigail grinned while staring you down. You stared right back at her. It's like you two were having a silent conversation of swearing intensely back and forth at each other. Abbigail didn't even have a reason to be mad at you- you weren't any kind of "reproductive threat" or whatever. It was fun to mess with her.

And so you went, Anime Hair, Emo, Witch, and Farmer, into the forest.

 

The forest was, well, a forest. Author is bad at describing things. The sun was shining as bright as a spring day's sun should shine. The pungent smell of flowers tickled your nose. Sam sneezed. 

Abbigail stopped at the river and took her shoes off to put her feet in the water. She beckoned for the rest of your group to do so with her, but you politely declined and stayed standing while Sam ran to join her and Sebastian sat under a shady tree. For a moment it was quiet, and it was bliss. Then Sam started to splash Abbigail, and vice versa. You didn't plan to go in the water, but you took your shoes off anyway and put your socks in your shoes.

"So, you have fun today?" You sat down next to Sebastian and pulled your knees up to your chest, mimicking him.

He shrugged. "It was fine." He pulled his hood up over his head and put his hands in his jean pockets. Skinny jeans. You didn't get this kid. On another note, how were you supposed to respond to that? He didn't seem like he was against talking to you. You had to think for a moment about what to say next.

"So have I gotten the full Stardew Valley experience yet? Or is this kinda..." you gestured to the general everything around you, "it?"

"I mean, there are a lot more festivals and things," he explained and stretched out his legs. Long legs. Long leggy legs. His pretty skinny jean legs didn't change the fact that he was still short.

"Oh yeah? Like what?" 

"Like there's the Luau, Spirits Eve, the Festival of Ice... um... I guess there's the Flower Dance at the end of spring." 

Flower Dance? Sounds intimidating.

"The boys dance with the girls, and vice versa, obviously. People are pretty fine with it. I'm not partial to dancing, though. Abbigail doesn't like dresses," he gestured over to Abbigail.

"The girls have to wear dresses?" You propped your head up on your hand.

"And the boys in blue suits. We look like- we look ridiculous." 

"Who do you dance with?" 

"I dance with Abby." Confusing choice of words. You couldn't deduce anything from that. He didn't say that he had to dance with Abbigail, but he didn't say he got to dance with her either.

Suddenly, his eyes went wide. "Hey, you might wanna-"

But it was too late. You felt hands grabbing under your arms and pulling you back. Sam was laughing uncontrollably behind you.

"Hey! What are you-" 

"Alley-oop!" Was the last thing you heard before you were thrown carelessly into the water. Your feet flew up out of the water as you tried to simultaneously process what happened and get yourself to a place where you're able to breathe. You eventually turned yourself right side up and found solid, sticky, muddy ground. Leaning onto the riverbank, you tried to express your frustration, but alas, all you could do was cough up water.

"Are you okay?" Abby asked, swimming over to you. "Sam's an-"

"Oh come on, I was just having a little fun!" Sam defended himself to Sebastian. "You would laugh if it were Abby." 

"Yeah but she's not Abby-"

"Hey! Listen! Did you hit your head?" Abbigail asked, a bit panicked.

You snapped back into reality. "Oh, yeah- I mean no! I'm- I'm fine. Thanks." Funny. A few minutes ago Abby couldn't care less about you. In fact, she was holding onto you now.

"Abbigail?" You nervously laughed.

"Yeah?" She sounded serious.

"I can swim." 

"Ah." She let go and tucked her hair behind her ears. She glanced away to the land, and so did you, and as it turns out, Sebastian had kneeled down and held his hand out to help you out of the river. You grabbed his forearm and he grabbed yours, standing back up to pull you with him. 

"Are you okay?" He asked, his voice full of concern.

You were stuck in a trance, looking into his eyes. "Yeah I'm... fine. The river is cold." You shook your head to once again snap back into reality. 

"Oh, um... here." He pulled his hoodie over his head and awkwardly handed it to you. You were going to decline, but he had already taken it off, and it would make the situation even more awkward if you declined. The poor awkward boy could only take so much awkward.

You put on the sweatshirt. It actually fit you pretty well as sweatshirts go. Looking at Sebastian, you could see that he was obviously uncomfortable. His shoulders were hunched, and his hands were further into his pockets than thought possible. Sam could see this too, and said that it would probably be a good idea to head back to dry land. You couldn't agree more. 

Sam pulled Abbigail up out of the water and the Anime Boy, Uncomfortable Emo, Witch, and Soaking Farmer went back into town where the festival was being packed up. Sam apologized profusely and offered to take you to Harvey's, but you told him that it was okay and you were fine. You said goodbye and left to go back home and tend to your crops. Or, that was your intention. You really spent the rest of the day looking at the community page and listening to Blain talk about whatever she had to say.

As soon as you knew it, it was dark, and you didn't feel like getting up from your bed. 

Still a bit damp, you fell asleep. In the hoodie.


	14. Two for Joy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You wash and return Seb's sweatshirt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back! Finally. The start of the school year has wrecked me. I've been terribly busy. Hopefully you like this chapter, though!
> 
> Why not leave a comment or a vote? It'll let me know that you're enjoying the story, and it's completely free!  
> Got any comments? Questions? Things you would like to see in the story? See any inaccuracies? Grammar mistakes? Let me know!
> 
> Happy Holidays!  
> -AsinineK9

Waking up soggy was an enjoyable experience. And if the universe couldn't already tell, you assured it that you were being sarcastic. The overworn, overworked overalls that needed a wash stuck to your body and smelled like rotting fish. You yourself didn't smell so great either. A mixture of that rotting fish with a hint of musty gravel from the farm. It really got you in the mood for breakfast.

Although the putrid water seeped into your sweatshirt, or rather Sebastian's sweatshirt, overnight, it was the only thing that didn't smell terrible. Which was surprising, given that all Sebastian does is sit around on his computer. He's probably never washed the thing in his life.  
You decided that you would at least wash it (and yourself) before giving it back, as that would be the least you could do to return the favor. You hadn't spotted a laundromat anywhere in Pelican, but if you had to take the broken down bus all the way to Zuzu, then so be it.

It was a bit earlier than usual to be waking up, but because of this you didn't feel as tired. That didn't make much sense to you, but you were fine to roll with it. It really did stump you that you weren't sure where to wash your clothes. You knew you would need to wash them eventually (as you have been wearing the same clothes for what, 13 days now? 14?), but you didn't have an actual action plan to go somewhere to get them washed.

You changed out of your overalls and into loose light blue jeans and a yellow button-down cactus-patterned dress-shirt, as your boxes of stuff arrived a few days ago. You threw your messy hair into a ponytail for the time being. Admittedly this wasn't an outfit that you wanted to get dirty while farming, but you looked cute, and it would be good to show the town the cuter, not dirty farmer side of you. Not saying that you didn't like the dirty farmer part of you.

You took the sweatshirt and a bag of your dirty overalls balled up with your undershirts, and found a laundromat right outside of Pelican. It was a small, grimy little place that reminded you of when you were little. The location was different, but the dead-eyed stares of people waiting for their clothes to finish washing never changed. Nevertheless, you didn't pay much attention to what the place looked like or what memories it brought back of when Mom would take you there, as that wasn't what you were there for.

You washed the clothes, thinking about Mom.

While the clothes were being dried, you texted Blain.

Y/n: Hey B

In under a minute, she responded.

B: hey what u up to  
Y/n: nm just at the laundromat washing some clothes  
B: oh really, is that what u do at a laundromat  
Y/n: lol how goes work  
B: it goes. How's work for you? Making good money?  
Y/n: enough to sustain myself yeah  
B: how are Sam 😘😘 and Seb 😍😍?  
Y/n: very good FRIENDS, B. Oh I guess I didn't tell you about what happened yesterday did I  
B: no??? OwO  
Y/n: never 'owo'  
B: OwO why not?  
Y/n: do want me to tell the story  
B: yes!!!  
Y/n: Ill have to call you hold on

And so you explained everything from Abbigail's mixed feelings about you to Sam throwing you in a river to Sebastian giving you his sweatshirt.

"He gave you his sweatshirt?!" She squealed.   
"Yes, because-"  
"You can wear my sweatshirt~" she sang.  
"Because I was cold- I had just gotten out of a river!" You protested.  
"Sam had a jacket and Abbigail had a vest. But you chose Sebastian's sweatshirt." She proved.   
"Sam was the one that threw me into the river, and I'm pretty sure Abbigail still hates me. And I didn't choose Sebastian's sweatshirt, he insisted I take it-"  
"Do you have a picture?"  
What? A picture of the sweatshirt? A picture of you in the river?  
"A picture of what?" You asked, calming down.  
"Of the sweatshirt. Of you in the sweatshirt."   
"No!" You blushed.  
She chuckled. Just then, the dryer beeped and your clothes were done drying.  
"I have to go, Blain. Talk to you later." You smiled.  
"Bye!"  
"Bye."

Your (and Sebastain's) clothes were warm as you gathered them from the dryer and packed them back into your bag to take back home.   
You thought about your mom on the way home. You would have to visit her grave sometime soon.

Upon returning, you found Marnie waiting at your door with a small dog that looked like a golden lab.

"Hi Marnie... what's this?" You gestured to the dog.

"I found this little guy wondering about your farm. He seems sweet. He must be a stray! Poor thing." She gently patted his head, and when she stopped, he whined for more. "He seems to like this place... hey, don't you think your farm could use a good dog to scare off crows and such?" He barked and wagged his tale to signify that yes, he is a good dog.

"Oh, um..." you laughed nervously and looked at the ground. "A pet is a lot of responsibility and money that I don't have..." when you looked back up, you found that both the dog and Marnie were giving you puppy-dog-eyes. 

"Well I'm in debt already... how about a little more?" You kneeled down the pet the pup, but he was way ahead of you, and jumped on you instead, knocking you over and licking your face insistently. 

"Oh good!" She smiled, "what will you name him?"

You thought for a moment. The name should be something significant, something that means something. When you look at that dog and call him by that name, you should be proud you named him that, and remember whatever his name signifies. Yes. You had it. Once you pushed him off of you and stood up again, you announced the new name.

"Captain. I'll name him Captain," you proudly stated.

"How cute! Well little Captain, I hope you have fun at your new home!" She smiled and left. It was just you and Captain. 

You went inside with your new pup and laundry bag, and sat down on the bed. You took out Sebastian's sweatshirt and showed it to Captain, who was sitting at you feet, staring intently. 

"This," you started, but it seemed like Captain had other plans than to chat, as he suddenly jumped up and tried to take a bite of the sweatshirt. This changed the course of your sentence entirely. "...is not a toy!" You popped him on the nose. "This," you started again, "is something I have to return to a friend right now. I can't let you stay in my house because I'm sure you'll tear up everything. I'm going to put you outside, go give this to my friend, and you're going to be here when I get back, okay?" 

He barked loudly to agree.

As you got up and went outside, he followed. Just before you started down the path, you turned to him. 

"Remember, you're going to be here when I get back." You poked at his snout. "Don't go anywhere." And you started down the trail.

You wondered why Sebastian's house was so secluded from the others. I mean sure, it's Sebastian, and seclusion is a very Sebastian thing, but he also has a family that is pretty outgoing. And what even does he do all day? Didn't Sam say he's always in his room? His room must be a pigsty. Just then you got a call from Blain, but you were so deep in thought that you didn't even notice. 

"Hello, Y/N! How are you doing today?" Robin greeted you upon entering. 

"I'm good, how are you?" You kindly answered.

"Good. Now, what can I do ya for?" She started opening up he catalogue of buildings you could pay for her to make and house expansions.

"Oh, I'm actually here to see Sebastian. I need to return his hoodie." You brushed your shirt off for no reason, tucked your stray hair behind your ears, did anything to make yourself look presentable.

"Oh..." she closed the catalogue disappointedly, but shrugged it off. "He's downstairs in his room. Just turn right and go down the stairs. The door might be locked, though. You know him."

The hallway down was short but dark and led to one door. You tried the knob. The door opened.   
You glazed over Sebastian's room. It was a bit dark, of course, but that was to be expected. There were, though, a few things of interest- a wall coated with posters, a table with cards lazily thrown on it surrounded by a few chairs, a bed with black blankets with a tv at the end of it, a black couch, a radio, a rug, a dresser with a few pieces of quartz on it, and a desk with two computers on it, one of which being occupied by Sebastian himself. He was buried deep in his computer and didn't even notice you there.

"Sebastian?" 

He looked up at the sudden noise. 

"Oh. Hey. Gimme one sec." He then proceeded to quickly type a few more things out onto his computer. You contemplated if you should just come back later, but you decided to stay. "Okay. Sorry about that, I just needed to finish what I was working on." You walked over next to him and he turned to you. He wore a black, long-sleeved sweatshirt with some band name on the front and rolled up sleeves. 

"Um, I wanted to give you back your hoodie. Thanks so much for letting me... borrow it." You smiled shyly as you held out his hoodie. He took it and put it on right over his sweatshirt, which you thought would be hot (TEMPERATURE WISE, YOU HEATHENS) so you didn't really understand why. But he left his hood down.

"Sure."

A moment of silence -well, as silent as you could get in a room buzzing with computers- went by where you both really weren't sure what to do. It reminded you of the feeling you get when you try to write a thank-you letter. You write thank you, and then what? Write something to fill the space? Draw a picture? So you just kinda... looked at each other. 

"S-so, uh, what are you working on?" Stammering, why?

"I do freelance work as a programmer." He gestured to the many lines of code on his computer screen.

"Oh, that's cool! My mom used to do that. Can you speak C++?" He turned to look at you confusedly. 

"I don't know if it's so much 'speak' rather than just 'know' or 'type', but, yeah. Uh, Does your mom still do coding?" He tried to continue the conversation. He carried it out a bit awkwardly, but you appreciated the effort. Unfortunately, you knew exactly where this conversation was headed, as you had been through it many times before.

"Well... my mom doesn't really do... anything... anymore. She passed a few years ago." You unconsciously rubbed the back of your neck and tucked the (nonexistent) stray hairs behind your ears as a nervous tick.

"Oh... I'm sorry." And there it was. That pity. That sympathy filled, societally expectant apology. You couldn't stand it. You shouldn't have brought up your mom. But it wasn't his fault she wasn't alive anymore. And it wasn't his fault that you haven't been able to move past it.

"If it makes you feel any better, I lost my dad," before you could comment at all, he stated "but I don't want to talk about it." So he had been through the same. Unwanted apologies reminding of the past. But he just cut people off before they could even say a word.

Just then, an alert came up on Sebastian's computer, saving you both from the awkward silence to come. 

"That was an instant message from Sam... I guess he wants to hang out... ugh, I don't really feel like going out today," he whined, sitting back in his chair. The sound of footsteps was heard on the stairs, and Robin's voice called for Sebastian. 

"Hi again, Y/N," she smiled at you. "Sebby," she started, attention toward her son, "I know you don't like it when I come in here, but I ran into Abbigail at the store earlier and she said she was looking for you." Her tone was calm. Also, ugh, Abbigail. She seemed like a decent person, but when it came to Sebastian, she was like a wolf. Ready to sniff him out and maul anyone who even came near him at a moment's notice.

"Did you tell her I'm working?" His tone was snarky. 

"I did, but she said she'd probably stop by anyway." 

He audibly sighed. "No one takes my job seriously."

"Honey-"

"No one ever bothers Maru when she's working at the clinic...does everyone think I'm just surfing the web all day?" He proved and waited for a response.

"Well, she'll be stopping by nonetheless." Robin left that to ring and went back upstairs.

After more awkward minutes of silence and feeling like you are invading and should probably leave, you asked him about his career goals.

"Well, I'm trying to save up so I can move out of here. Probably to the city or something." You were about to comment on how you used to live in the city, but he seemed to be thinking about something. "You know, if I'd gone to college I'd probably be making 6 figures right now... but I just don't want to be part of the corporate rat race, you know?"

"I think I know what you mean," you responded, although it sounded like a rhetorical question. 'Corporate rat race' couldn't sound more like Joja. 

"Well, and I guess I just feel more comfortable hidden behind the computer than dealing with people face to face." He seemed a little ashamed to admit that.

"Well, do you like coding?" You asked.

"I mean, yeah. Of course."

"And it is a job, like you said, so I say keep doing it, despite what people may say or assume. Sure it's a cheesy piece of advice, but it's a good one." You chuckled.

"Yeah." At this point, you started to turn to go back up the stairs.

"Do you like farming?" He called after you.

It took you a moment to come up with an answer. "You know, I'm not really sure yet. I used to be a part of that 'corporate rat race' that you had mentioned, and I would have done anything to get out of it. Then I opened the letter from my grandpa which contained the deed to Crater farm, and well... the rest is history. Point is, I don't really know if I love what I'm doing and if I wanna stick with it. But I know I'm not leaving this place. That's for sure."

"I think I get what you mean. Well, I'm sure we both have work we should be doing, so, um, bye. Oh, and thanks for returning my sweatshirt." He focused his attention back onto his screen.

"No problem, Sebastian," you started to take a step up the stairs-

"It's Seb," he stated. You stepped back down the stairs and looked at him confusedly. "You can just call me Seb- most my friends do anyway." His grey eyes glistened in the glow of the computer in front of him.

You didn't really know how to respond to that, so you just nodded, waved, and went back up the stairs.


	15. The Inner Monologue of a Confused, Short Emo Boy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sebastian's thoughts about Friday night convos.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OOOOOOOH is Sebastian starting to realize he might have feelings??????? BTW, I have like the next three (I think) chapters planned out. I'm not sure how much I like this chapter, but then again, I say that after every chapter. If you want me to rewrite some parts, I'll gladly do that!
> 
> Why not leave a comment or a vote? It'll let me know that you're enjoying the story, and it's completely free!  
> Got any comments? Questions? Things you would like to see in the story? See any inaccuracies? Grammar mistakes? Let me know!  
> -AsinineK9

Sebastian's POV

Spring 19, Year 1

Another Friday night over. I say that like it's a bad thing, but I don't mean it that way. I love Friday nights when my friends and I get together and play pool, although it does sometimes overfill my social quota for the day. I beat Sam again. Abby almost bested me, but she had to forfeit because she had to go home early. Sam stayed and suggested another game of pool, but retracted that offer after I reminded him of the numerous times just that night that I had beaten him. So, we stepped out towards the river and had a smoke.

"So... you excited for the flower dance?" Sam asked, although I know he already knows the answer, so why is he asking?

"Hardly. I don't wanna get dressed up, or do that stupid dance I've been doing every year since I was ten, or... ," I complained.

"...or dance with someone you're not interested in?" He leaned over to get a good look at my face through my hair. Shocked, I sat up straight.

"What is this about?" I scowled. Is this about Abby? He sighed.

"Nothing, dude, nothing." He turned back toward the river and puffed his cig. It obviously wasn't nothing, but I don't want to argue with Sam when I don't have to. What was he getting at? 'Dance with someone I'm not interested in'. He's obviously saying something about Abby. Abby and I are best friends. I've never really thought of her as more, and I've never really thought to think of her as more. Did she like me or something? We both sat and took a few more puffs before Sam spoke up again.

"So, what do you think of that new farmer girl?"

"Oh, um..." did this have anything to do with the previous conversation? "She seems nice, I guess. She gave me back my sweatshirt the other day. Washed it and everything."

"Who do you think she'll dance with?" He seemed genuinely curious.

I had to think for a minute. There were an even number of girls and guys that dance with each other in the previous years. Now that it's uneven, I guess she just won't dance.

"Maybe Vince will dance with her. About time he learned." That smart remark earned a chuckle from Sam.

"I think he'd love that."

"So what do you think of her?" I asked.

"I really like her. We've been hanging out a lot. She's very ambitious- working on her farm although she's never done anything like it before. She's humorous too. She jokes a lot and is generally fun to talk to. Vince has grown pretty fond of her- as previously mentioned," he smiled.

A twinge of something -and now that I think about it, it might have been jealousy, no, it couldn't have been- bit at the back of my neck.

"Seems like I'm not the one unhappy with who I'm dancing with." He chuckled at that, possibly nervously. "What, you like her or something?" I shot at him.

"What, you'd be jealous?" He shot back.

I sighed. I just wasn't open to a relationship. Work would get in the way. I wouldn't have enough time to be with them.

Like anyone 'd want to be in a relationship with me anyway.

________________________

Thinking about it now, I wish I had never shot down Sam's offer to play pool again. I don't like talking about relationships, especially with the pressure my parents are putting on me to find someone. If I'm content with my current lifestyle, then so be it. And it's like I had thought before- who would like me like that anyway? The way Sam was talking made it sound like Abby does... but I just don't like Abby like that. I'm sure it'd make everyone happy if I just shut up and went out with her. Abby would be happy, my mom would get off my back finally, Sam would ring wedding bells on Abby's and my first date, I would be pulled out of my room more and the town would be happy to finally see me... but I wouldn't be happy. But what does it matter if I'm happy? What difference would it make if I dated Abby? Apparently I'm supposed to make everyone else happy at my own expense. That's why I'm going to leave this sucky town. Once I finish the coding project I'm working on, I'll fix my motorcycle and drive to Zuzu, and I won't look back once.

I pulled the sheets up to my head to wipe the steadily falling tears. I'm completely pathetic.

________________________

Spring 20, Year 1

I'm not sure if I should hang out with Abby today. I slept in late, I've still got a headache from last night. Maybe I should just cancel.

Mom would yell at me if I cancelled. Memories of last night swelled my head and tears pricked my eyes. No. Not again. I'm not going to cry this morning.

"Sebby!" She threw her arms around me when we met right outside of my house. I flinched at the sudden contact- I wasn't really partial to hugs or any other great amount of being physical. She was wearing her usual attire, plus the straw hat she won at the Egg Festival.

"Hey Abby." I kept my hands in my pockets.

"So," she pulled out of the hug, "you ready to face off in Journey of the Prairie King: Versus Mode? I gotta say, I've been practicing."

I nodded and started walking with her. She was a few steps in front of me, talking about the game, I think. When we made it into town, I noticed Y/N talking to Shane. I think that's the first time I've ever seen him smile. She looked up, and when she saw me, she waved awkwardly. I waved awkwardly back.

"So what's your opinion on it, Seb? I know a lot of people have been saying it's bad, but as you can probably tell, I like it a lot," Abby asked, and I realized I hadn't really been paying attention to what she was saying. Not wanting to go through the trouble of abby being mad at me for not listening, I just told her I agreed with her and we kept walking, soon stepping inside Pierre's shop and through to her room.

I sat on the creaky wooden floor in front of the TV while Abby set the game up. She handed me a controller and sat down once the television was on and the game had booted up.

I couldn't shake my thoughts about yesterday, so I asked Abby her opinion after a few rounds of gaming.

"Hey, um, what are your thoughts on Y/N?" She visibly tensed. That obviously struck a chord with her.

"I mean, she's fine, I guess." She brushed it off and set up another round of Prairie King action. She didn't want to talk about it.

"Fine, you guess?" I pushed.

"Well- I mean- yeah I'm just personally not that fond of her, I guess." She shrugged

"Why?"

"She's kind of an attention seeker. I mean seriously, she's all like 'I'm gonna start a farm even when I have no idea how to do it! Look at me go!' and then she does the whole lake thing just to get your sweatshirt-"

"That was Sam's fault. He's the one that threw her in the river. And so what about my sweatshirt? She was probably cold."

"Well sure but like- she's so goody-two-shoes. It's like she's trying to kiss up to everyone for who knows what reason! Like sure, go ahead and make friends, but it's like- it's like she's bragging when she talks! Like she's trying to prove that she's better than everyone else," she supported her claim. I must have been giving her some kind of look, because she took one glance at my face and added, "you're the one that asked."

I didn't know how to respond to that, so I didn't. Although the next round of the game had started up and the music and sound effects were clear to hear, there was still an awkward silence. However, the moment passed and soon we were talking about the game and jobs and stupid parents and whatnot.

In what seemed like a short time, the sun had gone down and it was time I go home and maybe work or most likely sleep. I made sure that we were still on for playing Solarion Chronicles: The Game. We said our goodbyes, and I left.

I was kind of conflicted- Sam was really fond of Y/N and thought she was a great person. Abby... didn't seem to care much for her. What was I supposed to think? I guess-

"Agh! Sorry! I couldn't see you very well in the dark, Sebast- uh, Seb," she apologized, flustered. She accidentally dropped some of her things after we bumped into each other, so we both bent down to pick them up, careful not to bump heads again.

"I feel like we've been here before," she chuckled.

I picked up the remainder of the things that she had dropped while she was putting some things in her pocket and what was left to pick up, included a frozen tear, which is a very valuable, very beautiful stone. I must have commented or looked at it in some way, because she told me I could have it if I wanted it.

"A-are you serious? I can really have it?" I asked, letting a little excitement show through on accident. She nodded to reassure me. "I really love these. Thanks." I forced myself to calm down.

"Hey, you're welcome. I don't really know how I found one so far up in the mines, you're not really supposed to find these until you get really far down- but that doesn't mean I really want it or anything! You can still have it." She stumbled over her words. For a few hours there I was thinking that maybe Abby's words were right, but now I see that can't be true. She's truly kind, and really does try her best. She's encouraging and overall a good person. Maybe- maybe I could dance with her at the flower dance. If she wanted to. But no- I couldn't do that to Abby. And I couldn't do that so soon, either. Y/N doesn't know the dance. She might not even care to know the dance. She probably wouldn't be interested. What am I thinking, anyway? She's a good friend and just a good friend. And yeah, she's a good friend. A friend I hope to keep.

"Well, have a good night, Seb," she smiled and brushed her hair behind her ears.

"Right." I walked into my house and down into my room before my mother got the chance to ask me any questions.

So I pondered the day just like I do every night. I probably won't be able to sleep.


	16. The Flower Dance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> During the flower dance, you have an unsettling realization that you try to deny.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why not leave a comment or kudos? It'll let me know that you're enjoying the story, and it's completely free!
> 
> Got any comments? Questions? Things you would like to see in the story? See any inaccuracies? Grammar mistakes? Let me know!  
> -AsinineK9

Spring 24th, Year 1

It really wasn't going to be that big of a deal. Why would it be, right? It was just a town festival. You were going to have fun! So then why were you so nervous?

You were supposed to be out of bed already, but Captain was laying on top of you and you didn't want to wake him up. He's been a pretty good dog for the past few days, disregarding the one time he ate one of your cauliflower. You had to get up, though, because you needed to water your crops and get dressed. What does one wear to a Flower Dance? You saw the festival marked on the town calendar by Pierre's, but you thought it was just some town get-together to celebrate the spring. Your expectations about what it was were ruined when you got a letter about it in the mail yesterday. Reaching over to the dresser next to your bed, you picked up and reviewed the letter.

'Dear Y/N,

Tomorrow we're all getting together for the Flower Dance. 

If you can find a partner, you might even want to participate in the dance yourself! 

There's a little clearing beyond the forest west of the town where we hold the dance. Arrive between 9AM and 2PM if you're interested.

-Mayor Lewis'

What does that mean? Participate in the dance yourself? So it must be formal, then. You built up the courage to push Captain off of you, and once you did, you pulled out your laptop and opened the link Blain sent you to the Pelican Town community page. 

It was a Facebook page because of course it was, with the most recent post being a silhouette of Shane and a caption about his birthday. It was a very nice picture, considering that Shane hated pictures and was more than a bit hard to work with. 

Captain laid his head down on your arm, which made it harder to type and click. You asked him what he though of the Flower Dance, and he snorted in response. Scrolling further and further down into the depths of the community page, you made it to last year's posts, and then last year's Flower Dance. There was more than just one picture- a picture of the dancers lined up together, smiling for the camera, a picture of Mayor Lewis with his arm around Marnie, a picture of the scenery and decorations. There were several comments on each of them spanning from "That's my boy!" to "You look lovely!" and so on and so forth. 

The dancers were dressed in formal attire, to say the least. White dresses and flowers. Blue tuxes and bowties. But everyone else? Everyday wear. In fact, you had seen Robin in that exact shirt. Well, your mom always said to dress a little fancier than necessary (though you never listened to her), so that's what you were going to do. Much to Captain's dismay, you got up and went to pick out an outfit.

So, what outfit? What kind of outfit would be appropriate for this dance? 'Dress a little fancier than necessary', but what would be considered necessary for you? Everyday clothes were very much below necessary even for a casual event. Your everyday clothes now were work clothes. Work clothes were dirty overalls. That's gonna be a no on the dirty overalls. So- how to dress?

Stylish. Business casual. No, not even. Business casual casual. A checkered blue and white off-the-shoulders flow-y shirt, and white jean shorts. Dark blue sandals. Hair up per usual. Opal necklace and a few shiny bracelets. No earrings because you didn't have your ears pierced. Nonetheless, not too shabby. 

It was only coming up on seven o'clock. It probably would have been a smart idea to water the plants before you put on white pants, but you promised to yourself that you would be extra careful.

After watering your crops, you fished until you thought it was about 9-ish. You checked the letter again to remember the specifics of where it was. 

You found the entrance to the small clearing easily. It was just south of the farm, and decorated with colored streamers and such. It was very cute; there were flowers in barrels, a small pink table covered in various foods, people walking and chatting about. Pierre was selling things, of course, so you bought a small flower and stuck it in your hair. The dresses were even prettier in person, and so were the tuxes. Wouldn't it be cool to be in the dance? But who would you dance with?

Sebastian- er, Seb, Sam, and Abbigail caught your eye, talking and smoking in the corner. Social butterflies, one and all. 

"Hey guys! You all look... nice." Sam and Seb were both dressed in those baby blue tuxes. Sebastian looked especially handsome and bad-ass. 

"Thank you!" Sam chimed. Abby acknowledged your existence with a nod. Seb just took another puff of his cigarette. His allergies must have been flaring up, because his cheeks and nose were a light shade of pink.

"It's so embarrassing that we have to do all this. I hate dresses." Abbigail commented.

"You've mentioned. So why do you have to do the dance?" This whole debacle really didn't make much sense. The letter you got from Mayor Lewis said that if you wanted to participate, and if you could find a partner, then you could dance. The three said a babble of words at the same time to explain.

"Parents." 

"Tradition."

"It's fun."

I'm sure you can guess who said what. Seb and Abbigail sneered at Sam. 

"Ah. What is the dance anyway?"

"It's called the Flower Dance. Take a guess. We twirl and bow and... well that's about it- but we have to wear frilly clothes and take a day off of work and impress other people or whatever. Consider yourself lucky that you don't have to do it." Abby took Seb's cigarette and puffed it once to prepare for this apparently 'stupid' dance that you were sure would be starting in a a few minutes. "But I mean, dancing with Seb is always fun." 

Before you even had the chance to be disgusted, Sam continued the conversation.

"Vincent always looks forward to it. He and Jas always put flowers in each other's hair, and run around, and eat all the desserts before anyone else can get to them. I don't really mind the dancing in public part, as it's just in front of our friends and family that we see, like, every day. I think it's a fun little spring celebration."

"Ew, you extrovert," Abby commented. Seb laughed his cute little laugh. 

Just then, Mayor Lewis called everyone over to the middle of the fenced-in clearing, and announced that the dance would commence once the dancers were in their places. Sebastian got into place reluctantly, while Abbigail had to basically be dragged by Sam.

You stood on the side and watched as it all went down. The music was light and bouncy, very spring like as it should be. People started to take out their phones so they could snap some pictures. You took out your phone to take some pictures too, but looking through the phone at the dancers... something was off. You put your phone away, but something was still off. Something about Seb and Abbigail. Some feeling offset you. A bad feeling that you got when looking at them dance together. You didn't like it. The loving look in Abby's eyes. They way Seb held her when dancing.

That- that shouldn't be Abbigail.

You were shocked at what you were thinking.

That should be me.

A cold sweat broke out, draining you of all emotions and pre-existing assumptions. You watched in horror as danced in harmony. You couldn't keep your eyes off them. Okay, so you had a crush on Sebastian. You could accept that, right? Why did a silly crush matter so much?

That's exactly what you asked Blain when you returned to the cottage. After the dance had ended, Sebastian said that he, Sam, and Abbigail were going back to Abby's house to play some games and hang out in general. He asked if you wanted to come, but the only words you could muster were "N-no thank you."

 

"Maybe because it's more than a crush."

"Blain, I barely know him. I haven't even been here in Pelican a full season!" You argued, curling your knees up even further into your chest. She sighed.

"Y/N, do you believe in soul mates?" She was completely serious. You had to laugh.

"I know you do. I also know that you just want me to be in a relationship. I also know that soul mates isn't a real thing." Of course she would believe in soul mates. She reads too much fantasy.

"Oh, whatever. I know that you want you to be in a relationship also." Well, she wasn't wrong. But you had just moved into a new place, with a new occupation tied to it! You didn't even know Sebastian that well! Even if you did, Abby is basically courting him! All the odds stacked up against you. As if reading your mind, she said,

"I don't care what arguments you make. Go for it." She's crazy, but still supportive and sweet.

"Maybe I should go for not calling you again ever." 

She laughed. "Alright. Let me know how things go."

"Will do. Bye, Blain." You hung up before she could add any parting comments.

 

You only now started noticing the little things you indicated you had a crush on him. Liking his laugh. Calling him handsome. Seeing him before anyone else in a group. Giving him gifts. God, how didn't you notice before? It wasn't soul mates, but maybe Blain was right when she said it might be more than a crush. Well, nonetheless, you would have to get over it. You weren't ready for a relationship, and Sebastian probably didn't like you that way. Sure, he might not like Abbigail that way either, but that was based on outside sources. You haven't heard him say it.

Whatever, right? Not something to worry about right now. Captain was hungry, and it was time for bed.


	17. The Stupid Flower Thing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sebastian's view on the flower dance, where he finally realizes something big...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why not leave a comment or kudos? It'll let me know that you're enjoying the story, and it's completely free! Got any questions? Comments? Things you would like to see in the story? See any inaccuracies? Grammar mistakes? Let me know!
> 
> -AsinineK9

Spring 24, Year 1

Sebastian's POV

It was an okay morning. I was working on a coding project that I need to finish tomorrow. Then, when my mother bellowed down the stairs about getting properly dressed, I remembered that today was the flower dance. I don't throw the word 'hate' around a lot, except that I do, but I hate this dance. A blue tux? Flowers everywhere? White dresses? A bowtie? Ugh. I have things to do, deadlines to meet. 

There was no point in arguing with Mom, so I put on the tuxedo and looked in the mirror. I look ridiculous. I walked upstairs to find Maru in the lab, in her dress, working with what are probably very dangerous chemicals. 

"Oh Honey, you look wonderful." Mom chimed. Maru turned her head for a quick second, and snorted when she saw me. If I were her, I would too.

"It's too big." I mentioned, though that wasn't the only problem with it. 

"We can ask Penny to hem it for next year," she brushed off my comment, obviously not understanding that I was trying to find any reason not to wear it. Or maybe she did, but she didn't care. Glad she was thinking about next year already, though.

Much to my dismay, Mom wanted readjust my tux and do my hair. I only let her do one of the two. No one touches my hair. Amidst the hustle and bustle of getting Maru to stop doing science things, Demetrius convincing me to eat breakfast, and generally getting prepared for this stupid dance, I couldn't get Y/N off my mind. 

I'll say it blatantly: I want to ask her to dance with me. She's kind, has a good heart with good intentions, she's a hard worker... but I know she doesn't like me that way. Who would? Abby's an exception, because she's Abby. There's no way I can ask Y/N to dance.

I grabbed a pack of cigs and a lighter before Maru and I were ushered out the door.

Will she be dressed up? Does she already have someone to dance with? It'd be too late to ask her, anyway. She doesn't know the dance anyway. She wouldn't want to dance with me anyway. Maru nudged me as we walked through town square. 

"You okay, bud?" Maru and I aren't close. Maru and I have never been close. I must be looking seriously sick for her to ask me how I'm feeling.

"I'm fine." She nodded and we kept walking.

What if I mess up in front of everyone? What if the entire town hates me for messing up their tradition, and never talk to me again? What if Sam and Abby ditch me completely? What if I fall and hurt Abby? What if Y/N never wants to talk to me ever again?

"Um, Earth to Sebastian? You good?" I was thrown out of my self-destructive train of thought by Maru's hand waving in front of my face.

"I-I'm fine."

"You look pale and you're fidgeting more than usual. Are you sure everything's alright? You sick or something?"

"Leave me alone, Maru," I shot at her. I needed to just get over and forget about these stupid feelings by myself.

I let out a sigh of relief I didn't realize I was holding when I saw that Y/N wasn't in the clearing. The decor made me want to run back to my room- flowers at every corner, rainbow frilly things and streamers everywhere. At least the food smelled good, but I had no intention of eating it. Vincent and Jas were already pigging out on brownies. I retreated to a corner when I saw Sam and Abby standing there. 

"Hey Seb. You ready to do this?" Abby asked, obviously not wanting to participate. From the recent info I've gathered of Abby having a crush on me, it would make sense that she would be excited for something like dancing with me, but even the flower dance was a bit much for her. 

"Ready to get it over with." I replied with a intentional lack of enthusiasm, getting out and lighting a cig from the pack I brought with me.

"Oh come on, you guys, I'm sure it won't be too bad. It's like a minute of dancing and then we get to go to Abby's and play Journey of the Prairie King: Versus Mode. I think it starts soon, anyway." Sam assured us.

Then I saw her. She was in casual clothes- no 'pretty' white dress, but she was the most beautiful person at the Flower Dance. A necklace, a blue shoulder-less shirt and white shorts. She had a sense of style. She admired the decor for a second and bought a rose from Pierre that she stuck in her hair- dang, I should've gotten one for her. No, it's good that I didn't. We're not a thing. We're not going to be a thing, ever. Get it in your head, Sebastian. But that brings up the point- we're not a thing, we're just friends. But- What is she to me? I've never given it a name. Never admitted it. I've just denied it, whatever 'it' is. 

I guess I have a crush on her. There, I said it. 

Her eyes met mine and I turned away. Next I knew she was standing with us. I'm sure I started turning red in the face, so I took another puff of my cig to hide it. We had a nice little conversation- or rather, they did, I was really just a fly on the wall. If I tried to say anything, I would probably say the wrong thing, and there was no way I was going to mess up in front of her. In front on Y/N. In front of my crush. 

Mayor Lewis announced that the dance would be starting soon. Although reluctant, I walked into starting position while Abby had to be pulled along by Sam. Y/N stood to the side and watched along with everyone else.

The stupid music started, and I was more focused on finishing the dance than watching Y/N's reaction to it. I held Abby close like we did in practice, and I couldn't ignore how much she was not-so-secretly enjoying it. The way she looked at me, how she got every single move right. Even I stepped on her toes a few times. She must have practiced at home.

Immediately after the dance was over, Abbigail ushered us to go back to her house so she could put on 'real clothes'. I didn't even get a chance to say goodbye to Y/N. We played games for a while and Abby's mom made food for us, but it was all white noise. I was focused on what I was going to do with these stupid feelings about a stupid crush. I don't really crush on people, so I've never had to deal with stuff like this before. 

I couldn't tell her. There was no way. Even if I did tell her, she'd think I'm just her friend because I like her, and then she'd stop wanting to be friends with me. But she's still my friend. She's my friend that I also happen to have a crush on. Even if we couldn't be together, I'd want to still be her friend.

Maybe I'll just ride my bike out of this place. No more feelings to deal with, no more parents telling me to go outside, no more 'that's not a real job', no more being a huge disappointment to this town, the people in it, and myself. Just me and my bike, and Zuzu City on the horizon. I'll fix up my bike after I finish my current freelance job.


	18. 4 for a Boy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sebastian's fourth heart event with my own twist, featuring both your and Sebastian's POVs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, do you guys like when I write in Sebastian's POV, or not really? I'm of course going to keep the story in mostly Y/N's/third person's perspective, but I'd just like to know.
> 
> Why not leave a comment or kudos? It'll let me know that you're enjoying the story, and it's completely free! Got any questions? Comments? Things you would like to see in the story? See any inaccuracies? Grammar mistakes? Let me know!
> 
> -AsinineK9

Spring 26th, Year 1

Sebastian's POV

Today was actually going to be an okay day. A very simple day, but sometimes less is more. I was going to finish the freelance coding project I'm almost done with, get some food, have a smoke with Sam and Abby, then come back home and sleep. But life always has to be a living hell, right? So what if Maru wanted to work with me on some science thing. She just wants to do it to make me look stupid! I know nothing about chemistry and building robots! Plus, I'm busy with actual work, and not just experiments. And of course, when Mom figures out that I said no, I get an earful- no, a lecture about how I should socialize and do things with my sister and get off my computer! Does Demetrius ever tell her to get out from behind her desk and go outside? No, he doesn't. Because you don't criticize people like that.

So that's it- no, I'm not suddenly moving to Zuzu. But I am going to push up my plans to repair my bike to now so I can take a ride out to the hill that overlooks the city skyline. One day I do really plan to move to Zuzu and live on my own, though. Mom just wants to yell at me, my half-sister just wants to make me look dumb, Demetrius (my supposed 'step dad') doesn't care at all about me, the rest of the town, including my friends, thinks I'm lazy, and probably what has grown to be worst of all, I have these stupid strong feelings that I've never felt anything like before about a perfect person that could never love me. I doubt that she even likes me. She's probably just putting up with me for some reason. Maybe Mom is paying her to be my friend so she can show the town that she didn't totally fail as a parent.

My toolbox is already in the garage with my motorcycle. I don't exactly want to come out of my room for fear of someone seeing and or confronting me, but I need to get out of this place.

_____

Y/N's/third person POV

Another beautiful spring day in Pelican Town. And an especially beautiful day for a birthday. You tried your best to keep track of the townspeople's birthdays, and so far, you were doing pretty well. You had given a gift to almost everyone so far, and you weren't stopping now. 

After Captain helped you out harvesting crops, you took your gift ( a bouquet of daffodils and dandelions) down to Pierre's shop, wished him the best, and just talked for a little bit about how he was going to celebrate and all that jazz. Of course, Pierre is always a busy man with a family and full-time job, so it's not east for him to take time for personal things. It sounded a little sad, but he was happy as could be while saying it.

Your original plan was to head back home and fish or chop down some trees, as you were only a few materials short of being able to pay Robin to make a chicken coop for you. That and Blain were really the only things keeping you distracted from your feelings about Sebastian. You thought it was only in the movies that people had their lover or crush on their mind 25 hours a day, but now you understood. 

Maybe you should go pay him a visit? Yeah, great idea, torture yourself a little bit by talking to and spending time with someone you can never be with. Of course, you should still spend time with a friend, but Sebastian was different right now. You needed to get over these feelings first. You only realized that your discouraging thoughts didn't stop you when you saw that your feet had already taken you down the path to Seb's house. 

The garage door was open, which was strange, because it never is. Various noises of metal on metal filled the air, creating a strange contrast with the chirping birds. Sebastian lay below what appeared to be a motorcycle, tightening screws or whatnot while on one of those rolly boards so he could slide out from under it easier.

____

Sebastian's POV

When I thought things couldn't get worse, one of the bolts I was fidgeting with fell off the motorbike and hit my forehead with a clunk. I rolled out from under the bike and sat up to rub my surely soon-to-be bruised forehead. 

You know, maybe I should just leave today and never look back. I would never return to Pelican Town, so no one could ask me why I just up and left. Sure I might not have enough money to afford many things, or even have an apartment there or plans to get one, but why not just see how it goes? Literally anything could be better than how I'm feeling right now.

But then I saw Y/N walking down the path to my house, and I remembered why I'm still in this stupid town. The only reason I still feel at home even though she's not from my home. Maybe I should just take her with me and save her from this torturous place. She just moved here and thinks it's great now, but she doesn't know how neglectful and uncaring this town can be. 

She walked up to me.

_____

Y/N's/third person POV

"Hey Seb. I uh, didn't know you had a motorcycle." Smooth moves. Very nice.

"What, you haven't seen my motorcycle before?" He seemed a little bit genuinely shocked, as if he really thought he had taken it out for a ride in the time that you moved here. "Hmm... I guess it's been broken down so long that I never showed it to you."

He seemed like he was debating on saying something after that, but decided not to and went back to working on it. You sat down, closing your eyes and taking in the heat of the sun on your face and the smell of Spring. 

What got your attention was the absence of noise, although you didn't know how long the clinking metal had ceased. Seb slid out from under the motorcycle.

"Sometimes, after sundown, I make the long ride out of Stardew valley..." he started to reminisce out loud, "There's nothing else like it, blazing along the empty stretch of road toward the faint city glow..."

It was still bright out and warm with birds singing, but it almost felt like you were there too. You could see it- the orange sky, your hair flapping behind you, and you could feel it too- the air had a slight chill to it, as if the sun was just setting. It was blissful.

"Once I've saved up enough money, I'm going to head out on my own... to the city and beyond. Just me and my bike." You were yanked out of this blissful place. 

"Wh- leave?" You exclaimed louder than intended, standing up for added effect. "You want to just... leave here?" What? No! Sebastian was one of your closest friends, and your crush that you were trying to ignore your feelings for! It's hard to ignore feeling for something that isn't even there! Because if it's not there, then you're just ignoring... nothing. But that would solve your problem, wouldn't it? Oh God. You didn't even want to get over these feelings, even if they hurt like Hell.

_____

Sebastian's POV

She was obviously upset. But why? Would she actually want me to stay? Does she actually care about me? I tried to keep my cool while answering.

"Hey, maybe I'll take you for a ride some day. Show you the appeal," I mumbled. She'll probably think that's stupid.

"That sounds... fun." Oh, she didn't think it was stupid. I mean, why wouldn't she think it wasn't stupid? A motorcycle ride out of town with the pathetic lazy loner emo kid that does nothing but smoke and spend all day in his room, in the basement. It still astounds me that she wants to keep talking to me. 

And then, I came up with the lamest thing I could have ever said in this situation, ever. 

"Great." And then I went back to fixing my bike. Okay, two things wrong with what I just did. Well, I probably did more than two things wrong, but these are the main ones. One: I said something very stupid. I could have come up with some witty one-liner, or actually invited her to come on a ride with me instead of 'maybe some day'. Two: I went back to working on my bike. Seriously, Sebastian? After getting the chance to talk to her and show that hey, maybe you're interested in her, you turn your attention toward your bike and leave her to walk away by herself, with not even so much as a simple'goodbye'. This is why I'm gonna die alone.

_____

Y/N's/third person POV

"He's totally asking you out!"

"No he's not, Blain-"

"Nuh-uh, I'm not letting this be like all of our other conversations where I tell the truth and you do whatever you can to deny it. He said he wants to take you for a ride on his motorcycle after dark."

"Okay, I know how it sounds. But from what I gather from Sam, and the community page, and a few other sources such as how Seb pretty much stays in his room working all the time makes me think that he has never had a girlfriend or never asked anyone out. he probably doesn't even know what a date is. I could ask Sam. I'm sure Seb has taken him to do the same thing." You retaliate.

"Hey, you don't know if he swings both ways. My point is- don't knock down every possibility so preemptively, okay?"

"Okay," you sigh.

"Alright, talk to you soon. Give Captain some love for me."

_____

Sebastian's POV

So I guess I'd rate today like a six out of ten. 

That might not sound like a good day, but for me, a six out of ten day on a day like today is pretty rare. Usually days like today where I get yelled at by my parents, feel really crappy in general, and have my anxiety at an all time high get ranked at somewhere around a two out of ten. But Y/N, and I don't know how she does it, managed to bring the rating up a whole four points. Not only is she wonderful as a person, but she makes me feel okay about myself- as much as I'd like to deny it, she cares about me. And and she shows it. She was physically distressed when I told her I didn't want to live here anymore. So if she cares about me, there must be a reason. Something she sees in me that I can't. I hope she keeps caring about me, because I really care about her.


	19. An Experiment with Maru

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maru asks you to help her with an experiment while her mom builds a chicken coop for you. But talking about Sebastian makes her a little upset and she reveals some things about his relationship with you...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the comments! Every compliment and criticism helps my writing.
> 
> Why not give kudos? It’ll let me know you’re enjoying the story, and it’s completely free!  
> Got any comments? Questions? Inaccuracies? Let me know!  
> -AsinineK9

Summer 1st, Year 1

Ah, summer. When school and the sun are both out, pools are filled with more people than water, ice cream is being sold at every street corner, and all the spring crops die... wait what? All the spring crops die? But yes, you stood there on the cottage steps, shell shocked, looking at your brown cauliflower and bruised, frail parsnips. Of course, Captain had already made his way out there this morning and started digging up the dead crops for you. How nice of him, you definitely were planning to give him a wash today. 

After snapping out of your shocked state, you pulled Captain towards the small pond by the farm. It was a struggle to even put your hands on him when he got in the water- it was cold and made him frisky. All the while you couldn't stop feeling dumb about not knowing your crops would die. And so quickly, too. Wouldn't the spring crops just... keep growing in summer? 

Nonetheless, you would need to go to Pierre's to see if he had any summer seeds you could buy. But wait, you had just saved up enough to pay Robin to start building a chicken coop! You sighed, guessing that would have to wait until after you bought the summer crops. 

But the chickens...

Next thing you knew (after you had changed out of your wet overalls and dried Captain off) you were walking right past Pierre's to blow all your hard earned cash on chickens that wouldn't even start to pay off for at least two weeks. Unlike the crops, you had basic knowledge of how to take care of chickens. Animals were always a favorite of yours to learn about. Plus, they were pretty easy, right? Let them run around during the day, give them food, put them in the coop at the end of the day.

She was at her desk as usual when you got to her shop, standing and bored. She perked right up when you walked in. 

"Y/N! What a pleasure to see you! How are you?" You could almost see the sparkles behind her eyes.

"Hello, Robin! I'm doing alright." After pleasantries were exchanged, you paid her and gave her the materials to build a chicken coop right next to your house. She said it would be done in about three days, which was completely fine. You were so excited! Sure, you wouldn't have a stable income for a few weeks, but hey, chickens. Robin seemed pretty excited as well- you guessed that because the town was so small, she probably didn't get many projects. 

"Hey, is Seb downstairs?" You asked. 

"Well yes, though he's probably still asleep. You know him." She shrugged. You actually debated going down to check, but thought it was probably a bad idea. You left with the happy thought of your farm growing, of you actually officially getting the hang of this farming thing, of beautiful chickens.

The next few days were filled with excitement. You thought you had started to annoy Robin with how many times you asked how the process was going. Although you didn't have a kitchen, you did your best to make some food for her and yourself. Parsnip and cauliflower salads, mashed potatoes. Whatever you could make from your leftover spring crops. In the meantime, you went to the mines, fished, and gave listed materials to those little apple fellows down at the community center. They sure did appreciate you. You went to the bar with Shane, played pool with Sam, shot glares at Abby (hey, she glared at you first), opened some geodes with Clint. One of the days Maru came out to the farm while Robin was working because she needed some help with some science project, and her dad wasn't around. Robin obviously couldn't, so you volunteered to help in Robin's place.

You two didn't really know each other, despite your affiliation with her half-brother. Even Sam and Abbigail knew her a little bit. She seemed kind and fun, someone you could stay up all night with talking about science, drunk on the stars. The way she spoke and walked told you that she and Sebastian were very different. She stood tall, and walked with a purpose, while Sebastian was always slightly hunched over as to hide himself from the world. She spoke confidently, like she knew what she was doing, even if she didn't. Sebastian mumbled a lot, like he didn't want to or wasn't supposed to be heard.

"Thanks for volunteering to help me with this. Couldn't've done it by myself..." she trailed off while digging through some cabinets. You two were in the lab, along with some test tubes, weird bubbly liquid, scribbled-on paper, dirty pots strewn across the counter, and more sciency-looking things. 

"So... I assume we're working with chemistry?" You asked, tempted to touch the science materials, fearful of knocking something over.

"Quantum biochemistry," she said, closing the cabinets and handing you some goggles and a lab coat, "but chemistry is kind of an umbrella term."

"Alright, cool." You replied, trying to act like you knew what quantum biochemistry was. You had skipped chemistry class in high school- went straight from physics to biology. You were hoping that you wouldn't have to know too much about what you were doing when you did it. She went and fetched a small tray with an even smaller mushroom in it.

"I need you to pour this liquid- ah, wait-" She handed you a pair of thick gloves and motioned for you to put them on. Once you put on the gloves, made sure your goggles were secure, and your lab coat was buttoned, she handed you a vial of a bubbly hot liquid. "I need you to pour this liquid onto this mushroom while I look at it under my microscope and record the findings, okay?"

"Got it." But when the mushroom was under the microscope and you were pouring the liquid, one question scratched scratched at the back of your mind that you accidentally let escape your lips.

"Why don't you just ask Sebastian to help you with your experiments?" She was a bit taken aback, and accidentally bumped the tray off of the counter, just barely catching it with her feet before it hit the ground.

"He, uh, doesn't really like chemistry," she brushed off your question and put the tray onto the counter.

"Quantum biochemistry."

"Right."

Silence. She got up and dumped the contents of the tray into the trash.

"Look, I know you two are close, but he's just... we're not close like that. I'm more of...a burden to him than a friend." You could tell that she was consciously trying to decide what to say and regretting every decision. But if she were telling you even this much, especially when she didn't know you at all, you could tell that she didn't really have many people to talk to about it. 

"I'm sure that's not true." You were at a loss of how to comfort her. When had Sebastian ever talked about her in a good light? When has he not complained about her? She took staggered breaths, still trying to decide if she wanted to continue the conversation. You made the decision for her.

"Do you never talk?"

"He's always in his room, or out with you guys, or smoking. I ask him if he wants to help me with an experiment, he says he has work. I ask if he wants to look through the telescope on a night where all the stars are out, but he's going to play pool. I just- I don't think it's about hobbies or jobs or friends." She was upset. She wanted to be close with him. It seemed to be the exact opposite of what Sebastian said- she does care about him. She sighed and wiped a tear from her eye. "It's not chemistry he doesn't like, it's me."

She was leaning against the counter, so you went and gave her a hug. After a moment, you spoke your mind about what you thought was really going on.

"I don't think that's it. I just think you two don't have a middle ground. You want to do experiments and show him quantum physics, but he doesn't understand that kind of stuff and just isn't interested in it. I'm sure he'd gladly tell you about computer science and coding, but he knows that you don't do anything related to those things."

She pushed herself away from you. "But you just don't get it! He lights up when he sees you. He's not like that around Sam and Abby. He's not like that when he's smoking or playing synth, he's not like that. That's not Sebastian. Well, I guess it is, because how would I know what he's like?" She growled and put her head in her hands, frustrated with her mix of feelings.

He... acts different around you? He 'lights up' when he's around you? Why?

"I-"

"I'm sorry I asked you to come here. You did nothing to deserve my sour attitude. I'll be fine, please go." She avoided eye contact, obviously very embarrassed about her little outburst.

 A moment of silence passed before you took off the lab coat off and put it by the goggles on the counter next to where Maru was standing. You tentatively started to wrap your arms around her, waiting to see if she would try to push you away again. She didn't. 

Giving her a hug, you asked if she still needed help on her experiment.  She declined your offer to help, and said she would do the experiment another day. You pulled away.

"Are you going to be okay?"

"I've just had a lot on my mind recently. With all the stuff with Seb, and several recent failed experiments, and... y'know, stuff, but I'll be alright."

"Take a mental break. And like I said, try to find something in common with him." You wanted to prod at her and push to tell you more about how Sebastian "changes" when he's around you, but she needed some time to herself. She had obviously been bottling up these feelings for a while. 

You waved goodbye and left her to be.

Obviously, you felt bad for her. Seb meant a lot more to her than both he and you thought. And there was a lot from that conversation to unpack, but... you couldn't get out of your mind what she said about Sebastian. 

“But you just don't get it!”...

Her voice played over and over in your mind.

“He's not like that around Sam and Abby.”...

So what does it mean? Does he have feelings for you? No, he couldn't. There's no way.

“He lights up when he sees you.”...

But there's no way you could deny that meant something.


	20. The Great Chicken Hunt - 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You’re getting chickens and growing your farm! But you don’t really know how to take care of them... when they escape from your coop, you have to recruit a team to help you look for them before they get hurt. That team ends up being the whole town.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All your very kind and helpful comments really inspire me to write. So here I present a chapter almost double the length of what I usually write.
> 
> Why not leave a comment or kudos? It'll let me know that you're enjoying the story, and it's completely free! Got any questions? Comments? Things you would like to see in the story? See any inaccuracies? Grammar mistakes? Let me know!  
> -AsinineK9

Summer 3rd, Year 1

Early in the morning, you awoke to a knock on your door. That seems to be how you wake up most mornings now.

This time, it was Robin. And she brought good news- your chicken coop was done being built! You were now ready to buy and raise some chickens. You had made some money over the past two days, so you could afford at least two chickens and some hay. Marnie's opened at 9:00, so you had a few hours to go fishing.

You went fishing on the bridge by Sam's house this time, instead of in the little pond by the cottage (which mostly just has trash anyway) or going all the way down to the beach. Elliot was at the bridge when you got there. He said something about how it was a beautiful day and now that the season has changed you will be able to catch new fish. You heard he was writing a novel of some sort, and you two talked a bit about how that was going. He was actually out at the bridge because he had hit writer's block and needed inspiration. 

When the clock hit nine, you packed up the fish you caught into your bag along with your fishing pole and headed to Marnie's. She was sitting behind her desk reading a book and looked up when you walked in.

"Well hello Y/N how are you?" She smiled.

"I'm doing alright." You smiled back. She put her book down.

"What can I do you for?"

"Robin just got done with building a chicken coop for me! And what's a chicken coop without chickens?"

"Well of course! You came in at just the right time- I just hatched some new chickies for the summer. Does it matter to you if they're brown or white chickens?"

"Oh uh..." does color really matter for chickens? Will the eggs be of different value or taste? "no?"

"Alright, how many would you like? And will you be needing to buy any hay?" She asked, pulling a notebook out of a desk drawer to write down your order.

"Four bales of hay, and two chickens." Any more, and you're broke. It's already hard to afford food to eat. A crop-less farmer. Making your grandpa proud, aren't you? Marnie informed you of the price and went to get the chicks as you pulled the money out of your bag. 

On the way back you saw Sebastian and Sam smoking by the river. You wanted to slap the cigarette out of Seb's hand- sure you've seen him smoke before, but you that doesn't mean you were okay with it then. He's hurting himself by doing that. Pushing that to the back of your mind, you stopped by to say hi. You hadn't seen him since before that talk with Maru, and seeing him out and about with Sam, you couldn't help but feel bad for her.

"Hey guys. What's up?"

Sam nudged Sebastian and told you that Seb was complaining because he's hot, (in more ways than one, you thought) and how that must be because he's in a sweatshirt in the summer.

"It's just because it's the summer. My sweatshirt has nothing to do with it. I wear it year round and I'm fine." He glared at Sam.

"Seb, I wore the sweatshirt. It's pretty warm. Also it's black and soaks up the heat."

_____

Sebastian's POV

I blushed at the memory of her wearing my sweatshirt.

_____

"Whatever the effect, I'm not taking it off ever again." He pulled his hood up and shoved his hands in his skinny jean pockets. "So what's in the carrier?" He puffed his cig.

You held the carrier up to your shoulders so they could look inside. "Chickens!" You exclaimed. Chickens really would be fun to take care of- though you don't really know that much about taking care of them. They can't be that hard to figure out.

"Aww, how cute!" Sam put his finger up to the carrier door to see if the chicks would react.

"I gotta get down to the farm and get these guys set up." As much as you'd like to stay and chat, as much as your heart was saying 'Sebastian' and your head was saying 'chickens', the chickens were getting fussy and needed to adjust to their new home as soon as possible.

As you walked away, you heard Sebastian yell behind you, "L-let us know if you need help!" and you turned around to give him a thumbs up. He sneezed before you turned around- well, you didn't hear it, but he must have because his face was so red. 

Several people stopped you on your way back to see what you were carrying that was making so much noise. Shane cooed and smiled at them when he saw you, which was strange, because you've only seen Shane smile a few times. He gave you a few tips and tricks about taking care of new chicks, which you gladly thanked him for.

While the chicken coop didn't look very homey yet, it was their new home. You stepped into the coop with the carrier and let the little rascals roam free. You thought that maybe they'd be shy at first to be in a new place, but they were already running around like.... headless...chickens- okay, maybe not the best analogy. But whatever way you used to describe them, they were running around exploring their new home. The place started to look a bit better when you put some hay in the feeder. 

You thought it time to go farm, or mine, or talk to a friend, but you decided to stay and just make sure the chicks were going to get along well. After a few minutes of looking around, one of them settled down a few feet away from you. She wanted to be next to you, but was obviously shy and introverted. The other was still running and jumping around. In that very moment, it was very obvious as to what their names should be.

You reached out to pet the one sitting a bit away from you. "I'll call you Sebastian," when you spoke, the little chick running around looked up to see what the noise was, "and you'll be Sam."

After watching them for a few minutes more, you left them to their own devices. On the way out, you noticed the door for the chickens to go outside was closed. You opened it for them so they could roam around the farm. What's the harm, right?

For the rest of the day, you went fishing to try and earn some money so you wouldn't be completely broke. You called Blain before bed and she teased you about naming a chicken after your crush.

Then morning came.

You couldn't exactly tend to your crops as you normally would in the morning, because you didn't have any. So, you went to tend to the chickens instead. It was actually quite exciting to think of how they might have adjusted to their new home.

But there were no chickens to tend to. 

What?

You looked around the coop. They weren't hiding in the hay, they weren't hiding behind the door, they weren't... well, there's not many other places to hide. It's a fairly small coop. But nonetheless, the chicks weren't there. Isn't that what they're supposed to do? Come back? So you looked around outside the coop. Not in the tall grass, not behind the cottage... wait... they couldn't have...

"Captain!" You called, and he came barreling towards you. "Did you eat the chickens?" He barked in response. Did that mean yes or no? His stomach didn't look any bigger than yesterday, and he didn't have blood and feathers all over his face, so you guessed not. "Oh, good. Can you help me look for them? I don't know where they've gone."

Listening for their sweet chirps didn't help. Their voices would have been blocked out by the sounds of bugs and Captain running around like a maniac. 

Okay, so at this point, they could be anywhere in Pelican. You didn't know what time they took off, so actually, they could be anywhere in all of Stardew Valley. As reluctant as you were to ask for help after making a stupid mistake (seriously, a farmer not knowing how to raise chickens?), you weren't going to get them back if you were the only one looking. You needed someone willing to help at all times that would be happy to take time out of their day for you.

"Sam, I need your help. It's kind of an emergency," you told him when he answered the door, a bit out of breath from running to his house.

His eyes immediately went wide. "Are you hurt? Is someone hurt?"

You calmed your tone in hopes of calming him down as well. He looked like he was ready to call the cops. "No one's hurt, Sam. I just... lost my chickens. I kept the coop door open at night thinking they would come back in the morning, and, well... they didn't." Saying it out loud made you realize how sad losing them actually made you. Those guys really made an imprint on you, as they made you realize the farm your grandpa left for you to take care of was really growing and improving.

"You need someone to help you look for them?" He sympathetically put his hand on your shoulder. You nodded.

"Alright. Do you know when they got out? Maybe they haven't gotten far."

"For all I know, they got out as soon as I left the coop." Shame washed over you. These poor baby creatures that you were supposed to nurture and raise were probably lost and scared.

"Then we're going to need all the help we can get. How about we go get Abby and Seb?" You were willing to work with Abby if it meant you got your chicken children back. Abby's house was closer, so Sam ushered you both that way.

Pierre greeted you with a smile as always, and you suspected he was secretly hoping you were there to buy some of the new Summer seeds.

"Hello Y/N and Sam, how are you two doing?" 

"We're alright," you brushed off the question, "is Abbigail home?"

"She's just in her room. She's not busy I don't think, you're welcome to say hi." He motioned for you two to go back and see her.

Sam lead the way to her room and knocked on her door. She yelled something from the other side which apparently Sam understood better than you and took it as a 'come in'. Upon entering, you saw something you very much did not like. Sebastian was lying stomach-down on Abby's bed with a controller in his hand, very focused on Abby's television that displayed some kind of video game. The problem wasn't that Abbigail and Sebastian were hanging out together (though it secretly bothered you a little bit that they were hanging out together alone with the door closed), as that's what friends do. They hang out. The problem was that Abbigail was sitting on Sebastian's back with her feet swung over the side of the bed. That's something couples do, get all up in each other's business without minding. That, that made your blood boil.

Concealing your anger wasn't easy, but it was a time to focus on the task at hand. 

Still overwhelmed with shock, you stuttered. "H-hey, Seb and Abby. We need your help. Or really, I need your help, Sam is just here because he already agreed to-" you were getting off track because you were flustered in front of Sebastian. You cleared your throat. "Anyway, I need your help. You remember those chickens I got yesterday? Well, I left the coop door open for them last night, thinking that they would come back in the morning-"

Abby got up off of Sebastian's back. "You thought they would just come back? Are you seriously that dumb?"

"Hey!" Sebastian defended you before you even had the chance to say anything. Abby immediately backed down.

"No, she's right." As much as you hated to admit it, she was. Sure you had never taken care of chickens before, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't have done more research instead of just jumping right into it. "I made a mistake. I should have done more research. But now's not a time to dwell on the negative thoughts. We need to find them as soon as possible."

Sebastian stood from the bed and offered his assistance. "I mean I know they're not dogs, but do they, like, respond to their names? What are their names anyway?"

"Their name's are Sam and Sebastian but they don't respond to them so that's besides the point-"

Sam started laughing. "You- you named them after us?"

"Can we please focus on the task at hand? I feel a little rushed because for all I know, they're dead," you explained hastily.

Abby, feeling assertive, completely disregarded your panic. "Why didn't you name one after me?"

"Well maybe when I get a barn, I'll name a cow after you." She wasn't taking you seriously, and she was mean to you all the time. You couldn't be nice anymore.

"Oh, burn," Sam mumbled to himself. 

She glared at you and walked out the door, motioning for the three of you to follow her. She wanted to find those chickens so she could get you out of her sight as soon as possible.

You stepped outside with your search crew, and... didn't know where to start. Thankfully, Sam took charge. 

"Abby, you check out the railroad." She nodded and ran toward the tracks. "Seb, you look around in the forest by Marnie's." Seb nodded and headed off. 

"Y/N, you go look around the farm. You know it better than the rest of us. I'll ask round and see if anyone knows anything." You nodded and he patted your back before you went back to your cottage. 

Captain barked at your return. You greeted him and asked him to help, and even though he didn't really understand what you were saying, he noticed your clear distress and sat attentively waiting for orders. When you started searching through bushes and behind the cottage, he sniffed around for anything unusual. 

They weren't in the bushes, or going for a swim in the pond, or up in the trees. They hadn't climbed up the chimney, they weren't taking a nap in your bed. Sure, you checked some ridiculous places, but the bushes and brambles had already been looked through and you were getting desperate. Suddenly, while out in the field, you heard voices.

"Y/N!" They called. It was Alex and Penny.

"Hey guys!" You called back. You didn't know them very well, so you were a bit confused about what they would be at the farm for. "What's up?"

"We're here to help look for your chickens!" How did they know? Well, Sam did say he would ask around. Maybe he recruited a few people along the way.

They ran over to greet you with some interesting news.

"No one's been able to find them so far- but you should see it, the whole town's out there looking for them!" 

You were overcome with glee. So many people wanted to help- it made you feel like you were an accepted part of the community, and it was more likely that your chickens would be found with so many people looking.

"What- really?" 

"Yeah. Let's get looking, shall we? Where should we start?" Penny asked.

The three of you spent several hours looking. Places were checked and re-checked, but no luck. It was past noon, and just as you were about to move on from the farm and help the other townspeople in other areas, you heard a voice call out to you and saw a hand waving in the distance. It was Elliot, and his hand was waving for you to follow him. 

When you ran over to him, he started leading you, Alex, and Penny toward the beach.

"I was looking around at the beach, as I know it well, and heard some strange noise coming from the docks. When I went to find the origin of the sound, I saw something writhing in Willy's bucket of bait. It was one of the chicks! The lovely lady must have been hungry. I took her into my cabin and cleaned all the slime off of her," he explained.

"Thank you so much Elliot." You gave the tall man a hug when you got to his cabin and he showed you Sam the chicken sleeping peacefully on his bed. 

"Oh, well you're welcome, of course." He hugged you back.

You carefully picked up the sleeping animal and took her back to the chicken coop, closing both the person door and the chicken door this time. Now time to find the other one. When walking back to town's square, you saw Sam. 

"Sam, we found one!" You exclaimed. 

"Oh, that's good! We haven't had much luck with the other one. Which chick are we still looking for?"

"Sebastian. I named her that because she started acting like Seb when I got her." You chuckled again at the thought of a chicken and your crush acting similarly. 

He thought for a second about something, then he clapped and turned to you. 

"Okay, it may be stupid, but if we were trying to find Sebastian, human Sebastian, where would he be?" Um, that's obvious. Is Sam being serious?

"In his room, but-"

"Then we look in his room-"

"He's not going to like anyone ravaging his room." You crossed your arms and gave him a 'really?' look.

"-or somewhere else inside. Maybe she wants to be in a closed off, shaded place?" You know, his point was valid. If Sam the chick was asleep after running around so much, maybe Sebastian the chick was tired too but unlike Sam the chick found a safe place to retire to. Sam (the human) called out to those in earshot and asked them to search their homes. 

"Is there anything else I can do? I've checked the cottage inside and out."

"How about we both go and ask Demetrius if he knows anything? He's an agricultural scientist, maybe he knows something about chicken behavior. Vincent can tear up my place and look for the chick there for the both of us." You walked up the path towards Sebastian's house. Along the way, you found Abby and she joined you.

Demetrius was checking the cabinets in the lab with Maru when you walked in.

"Uh, Mr. Demetrius?" He obviously didn't expect any visitors, as he jumped in surprise and hit his head when you spoke.

"Agh..." he mumbled as he stood up and rubbed the sore spot. "Sebastian just came back to look in his room, if that's who you're looking for-" the sound of a door closing and footsteps interrupted him. 

You saw Seb walking up the stairs from his room, carrying the baby chick in his balled-up sweatshirt. He was comforting the chick and petting its head. The two adorable creatures interacting made your heart skip a beat. 

"You found her!" You exclaimed.

"Yeah. She was in the vent in my room. I don't know how she got there, but she's pretty cold now." He held out the frozen chicky on his sweatshirt and you took it from him.

"I thought you said you were never going to take off your sweatshirt again?" Abby asked with an attitude.

"I-if it's for a friend..." Seb just wanted to help, and Abby was discouraging him from that? So what if it was you he's helping. Nonetheless, Abby narrowed her eyes at him. There had obviously been some friend-related instanced that needed a sweatshirt and he didn't give it up.

"She just needs somewhere warm to be after getting stuck in a vent. I..." you debated if you actually wanted to finish that sentence. "I think it's sweet."

He turned away. Did you hurt his feelings or something? Are emos not supposed to be sweet?

"Just take it and get it back to me sometime soon." He turned to go back down to his room.

You had definitely hurt his feelings.

"Thanks again, Seb." You felt bad. The joyous finding of your other new chick was dampened by you messing up. Again. Of course.

"Hey, wait up! We never finished the level we were on!" Abby called to him and followed him down the stairs.

A moment of silence passed when the door from below closed.

"I should, uh, probably get this little one back to her coop. I'm sure Sam the chick is missing her." You patted the shivering ball of fluff before turning to leave.

"Wait, I'll walk you back." And the two of you left together. He obviously wanted to hold the chick, so you handed the sweatshirt to him. Sam kept talking about how he would always come to visit the coop in the future and watch them grow up, and who knows, maybe one of them is actually a rooster? What if the rooster one was Sam, and Sebastian was a girl? That'd be funny. But you assured him that they were both hens.

"Hey, you've been kinda quiet. You okay?"

"Uh..." you debated if you should tell him. Would he be on your side? Would he tell someone and the word get out? Would he tell Abby, and then Abby poison your crops? Would he tell Sebastian himself? "I'm just a little worried about the chickens. I think it's obvious, but I'm not super great at raising them."

"Hey, I'm sure you could ask Shane for help. I think the only time I saw him smile, he was in Marnie's chicken coop. Plus, Seb, Abby, and I will always be there to help if you need us. Actually, here," he stopped you and pulled out a pen from his jacket with his free hand.

"You should have our numbers." Sam said and took your hand, starting to write numbers. Abby would probably be shocked, she'd hate letting you have access to talking to her whenever you wanted. "So that next time there's an emergency, you can call us and we'll come to help." 

 

You looked at your hand, which had on it Sam's, Abbigail's, and Sebastian's numbers.

Sebastian's number was on your hand.

You had Sebastian's number.

"That's um..." you snapped out of your amazement, "that's really kind, thanks. I promise I won't bombard you with texts 24/7."

"Feel free to. I'll probably just be playing guitar or something. Well, we're here. I'll leave you to get them settled in," he said, and waved goodbye. He turned to go back to his house. "I'll tell those who don't know that the search is over."

"Alright, thanks." You waved goodbye and put Sebastian the chick in the coop with Sam the chick. It was only when you sat down in the chicken coop to watch over the babies for a few minutes did you realize how tired you really were. Your muscles relaxed, and you couldn't keep your eyes open any longer...


	21. 6 for Gold - 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After washing Seb’s sweatshirt (again), he invites you to play a card game for a few hours along with Sam. You have a fun time playing cards and getting flustered by him looking all cute. But when Sam walks you back home, he has something very serious he need some to talk to you about...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this was a weird chapter. I wrote different parts of it at different times, so I hope it all fits together okay. There were some parts of this chapter I really didn't like, and some parts I did. But you guys deserve an update.
> 
> I usually don't do shout outs, but shout out to MayIsTheDay! Their comments just make me feel so so wonderful. 
> 
> Why not leave a comment or kudos? It'll let me know that you're enjoying the story, and it's completely free! Got any questions? Comments? Things you would like to see in the story? See any inaccuracies? Grammar mistakes? Let me know!
> 
> -AsinineK9

Summer 6th, Year 1

You had a few things on your schedule today. In the past few days, you managed to get some money and plant some summer seeds that were growing quite well. With the money you had left, you planned to go outside of Pelican to a laundromat to wash your clothes and Sebastian's sweatshirt (you were sure he hadn't left his room since he let you borrow it). 

After getting off the bus from the ride to the small village right outside of town, you noticed all the people outside. It was a Saturday, after all, a perfect day to enjoy the outside. Better enjoy it now, as it's supposed to rain in all of Stardew Valley tomorrow. You were sure that many people were tired of the rain, that Spring had given them enough already, but as a farmer, you were looking forward to it so you could go mining and have a lot of time for it. Maybe you'd find a frozen tear. Maybe you'd give it to Sebastian and see his smile. His rare, sweet smile.

You walked into the laundromat and put in some of your clothes, not really caring about colors or delicates or whatever.

While you were waiting, you struck up a conversation with Blain. Blain texted you a bit about work, hometown stuff, guys, etc. She asked about your stance with Sebastian because of course she did, and you told her that you weren't really sure what to do. You liked him, you had admitted that already. But now was the tipping point for trying to do something about it. At first, you had outright refused to do anything, because you could lose one of your closest friends. Or at least make your relationship awkward when he refuses you. But now you had pushed past that fear (more like 'ignoring it for the time being') and were actually considering- no, not asking him out- flirting with him in some way. Sorry Abby. 

You washed Sebastian's sweatshirt separately, as you didn't want to accidentally mess it up somehow. You didn't care if it cost you an extra three bucks. 

Once everything was done washing, you packed it up and walked around for a while, looking at the new shops (a nice change from the small town shops that you see every day) and the lemonade stands kids were running (looked like it was straight out of a movie). Pollen and petals were carried by the soft breeze that swayed the trees. 

You headed back into town on the bus. Captain was by the bus stop, holding a stick. He eagerly awaited your arrival.

"Hey there, Cap. You wanna come with me to put my clothes away and return some stuff?" You bent down to him and talked about chores as if they were exciting. He barked and jumped up in response. 

"So yes, then?" You laughed. "Come on, buddy."

After watering your crops and putting your clothes away in the cottage, you... stood there pondering what to do. Of course, you knew you had to return the sweatshirt, but were you going to do anything else? Was flirting with him a thing you were going to do, a thing you were thinking about doing, or a thing you would need to think about thinking about doing? And if you were going to do it, you would need to think about how you were going to do it. But first you needed to decide if you were going to do it. Well, just like every presentation you had ever done in school, you thought to just wing it. Because evidence has shown that you're real good at that, right? 

Captain followed you on your way over. You thought about every rom-com Blain had ever dragged you to see. Smile, speak confidently, be clumsy, wear 4-inch heels, be Reese Witherspoon... okay, maybe something else. Looking up some flirting tips may be a good idea, except you had a flip phone that you could only text and call on. "Just be you, girl" you were sure Blain would say. As much as she wanted you to end up with a guy, she wouldn't support the relationship if he liked you for someone you pretended to be instead of just liking you for you. But you still didn't even know if you were going to try flirting with him. You valued your friendship with him more than you wanted him as a boyfriend.

You opened the door to Seb's house and saw Robin at her desk as usual. Captain tried to squeeze through the door, but you pushed him back and told him to wait for you outside. Robin invited both you and Captain in- she said she'd look after him, she loves dogs. You made sure to warn her that he can be a handful before you started the steps down to Sebastian's room. 

Upon entering, you found Sam and Sebastian sitting at the table he had in his room. 

"Hey, Y/N." Seb greeted you along with a nod. He seemed a bit bashful at not having his sweatshirt on. Sam waved and smiled. 

"Hey guys. Seb," you walked closer to him while taking the sweatshirt out of your backpack, "here's your sweatshirt back. I washed it and all, so it doesn't smell like chicken anymore."

"Heh, thanks." He took it and immediately put it back on. He looked up at you and gave a small smile as he fixed his hair. His smile almost sent you into shock. Your face was probably as red as a tomato, but you didn't really care, you wanted to see him smile forever. 

Sam interrupted your gawking, "...Sebastian and I were just about to play 'Solarian Chronicles: The Game'... why don't you join us? It's better with three players anyway."

As you were now closer to the table, you saw that Sam and Seb were holding cards, along with seeing a few cards laid out. It looked like some kind of Magic the Gathering something. 

"I'd love to. I've never played, though. You guys wouldn't mind teaching me?" You started walking to the open seat.

"It's more of a... learn-as-you-go type of game. Don't worry, I'm sure you'll pick it up quickly," Sam explained.

You took a seat across from Sebastian, and he picked up a card from one of the many stacks in the middle of the table.

"Hmm... it looks like today's quest will take us into the Necromancer's Tower... to try and reclaim Solarion Staff from the clutches of Dreadlord Xarth." He got quieter with each word as what you could only assume was him realizing how nerdy this all sounded. 

Sam helped Seb by placing three cards in front of you. 

"Cool... Y/N, are you ready to choose your character?"

The three cards in front of you showed vastly different images. The first card was primarily red, and depicted a large, buff man in lots of metal swinging a sword at some kind of enemy. There were large letters at the bottom of the card that read 'WARRIOR'.

The middle card was primarily yellow, and showed a peaceful, long-haired woman sitting down in a meadow. The large letters at the bottom of the card read 'HEALER'.

The last card was primarily a wispy mix of purple and glowing blue. There was a young girl with braided hair in a dark purple overcoat and large pointy hat looking at you as she held her wooden staff which glowed a light blue at the end. The letters at the bottom of the card read 'WIZARD'.

Looking over your options, you found it hard to decide which character to choose. The warrior was a lot like your personality- a bit hard headed, rushing into things without really thinking. The healer was a lot like what you did- you worked with plants and life, and always did what you could to help other people, so keeping others alive would be very appropriate. The wizard- well, you just liked the way the card looked, and the whole magic aspect was pretty cool.

"Healer," you decided, and took the card from the middle, "I like to help others." YOu just hoped that that card wasn't the one Sebastian wanted. Sure, you were still conscious of Sam's feelings, but you had a certain list and order of priorities right now. 

"Healer, huh? That's a very important role," he nodded at you, as if to indicate that he was trying to teach you something about the game. "I guess I'll pick the wizard then." He reached across the table to drag the wizard card toward him.

"Cool. Warrior's my favorite anyway." Sam took the warrior card from in front of you.

"Let's begin..." Seb said, and took a breath. You could tell he was trying to hold back his excitement a bit. He held up the scenario card and started reading off of it. "The King has entrusted you and your companions with recovering the Solarion Staff... a task which, if completed successfully, will ensure your place in the hall of legends as well as a sizable fortune or gold and silver. After a long month of journeying across foreign lands, you step out onto a precipice to see your destination looming in the distance. There, beyond a moonlit plain, lies the Necromancer's Tower... where Dreadlord Xarth usurp the power of the Solarion Staff for his vile purposes."

He put the card down, which was a shame, as you wanted to keep hearing him talk. Thankfully, being the DM (is that what it's called in this game? You had to base your knowledge off of when you played D&D as a kid), you knew he would need to talk more.

"The tower lies before you. There's an open pathway with stairs leading up to somewhere else in the tower. On both sides of the entrance hangs a skull." He looked at you, quite serious about all this. All you could focus on were his smokey grey eyes. You really wanted to focus on the game, as it seemed actually pretty interesting, but gosh, your crush was right in front of you with messy hair and shining eyes.

You pulled yourself out of your trance and played the game.

"Go in the front. Fortune favors the bold," you smiled. 

"You go up the stairs, but the hallway in front of you is guarded by a skeleton. It looks dangerous. What do you do?"

You weren't the warrior, but that didn't mean you were a total wuss. "Fight the skeleton."

Sam turned to you, concerned. "Are you sure? I mean, for all we know-"

"Shh," Seb interrupted, "the healer has spoken." That made you chuckle.

"The skeleton lunges forward!" The small boy exclaimed. 

"I raise the sheilds!" You exclaimed back, matching his energy.

"You successfully block the attack. The skeleton stumbles backward, giving you enough time to strike out and slay the foul creature. Warrior?" He turned to Sam. 

"I strike at it with my sword."

"You put a sizable stab wound in its head and it falls to the ground. You continue down the hallway, taking care not to step on the skeleton's remains. Then..." as Seb got caught up in looking at cards that you were sure must mean something and deciding what would happen next, you noticed that the character card in your hand was very dented and had color missing on some parts from being held too many times. In fact, looking around, you found that most of the cards were like that. How many times had this deck been used? You could only imagine little Sebastian in a wizard costume running around, jumping on furniture, and casting fake spells. How adorable... you got caught up in memories that weren't even yours until Sebastian snapped you out of it. 

"You find yourself in a sewer like corridor. To your left, a hallway glows with a peculiar green light. To your right, a staircase leads up into the dark. What do you do?" He asked you.

Well, the green light sounded a little too creepy for comfort. The staircase shrouded in darkness sounded much better. "I climb the stairs into the dark."

"You've come to a door at the end of a hallway." He looks at you both, very serious, but with cheeks a bit pink at him still being slightly embarrassed at how much he's enjoying the game. "The time has come to face Dreadlord Xarth. You open the door to see a tall man in a dark cloak. He's holding a staff that glows red and can only be the Solarion Staff itself. 'Intruders? How dare you trespass in my private chambers! ...Ah, so you've come for the Solarian Staff... hehehe, fools. You'll make a nice addition to my skeleton army!' He casts shadow beam!" 

"I try to jump out of the way!" You say in a panic. Sebastian looks through a few different cards before saying,

"You were able to dodge the spell, but your companions are gravely injured! What do you do?"

...Oh, well as the healer, this is a loaded question. Heal Sam, the warrior, or Sebastian, the wizard? Someone's feelings will get hurt no matter who you choose so... wait, but would Sebastian see you choosing him as flirting? Would he be mad? Disgusted? Never want to see you again? Ugh... you needed to calm down. This wasn't such a big thing. You're playing a game, is all.

"...I heal the wizard."

Sebastian looked taken aback. "Th-thanks, Y/N."

Sam looked at you deadpan. Oh boy, you might have some explaining to do...

"I cast 'Pure Bolt' ... a beam of white light hits Xarth square in the face. The Dreadlord shrieks and crumbles into dust." Sam and Seb high five.

"I pick up the Solarion Staff and hold it high. Order has been restored to the world!" Sam and Seb chuckled. 

"Hey, not bad!" Seb told you. "It took me like, three or four tries to beat my first scenario."

You blushed. "W-well, I couldn't have done it without help. So thanks."

"Thanks for staying to play. I'll see you later." It sounded more like a question, so you nodded at him. You stood up, and so did Sam.

"I'll walk you back to the cottage. It's probably late by now, might be dark. I'll be back soon, Seb, put in a movie or something."

The two of you walked up the stairs together. You grabbed Captain before heading out the door. The very moment that the door closed behind you, Sam started talking.

"Okay, I need to talk to you about something important. And I know it's a strange subject to talk about, but I need to clear a few things up."

You hunched over and avoided eye contact. Oh god, he isn't confessing that he likes me or something, is he? That'd be bad. That'd make your situation way, way worse. You'd have to reconsider everything. Would you really want to go after a guy when you've just turned down his best friend? And then there's the current matter at hand- how were you going to turn Sam down? The problem was currently that Sam was still talking.

"I'm just going to say it blatantly."

Oh no. Oh no.

"Do you have a crush on Sebastian?"

...

You stopped walking and your blood ran cold. If ever a person's heart fell out of their chest and into their feet, it happened to you right at that moment. 

What?

"H... Wh.." You didn't know what to say. You didn't know what to say! How could you know what to say? Lie and say you didn't? You were a terrible liar. You knew it already, and you'd been told by many people, friends and strangers alike. How did he figure it out, anyway? Sure, you were clumsy, but you thought you kept this one in check.

"How did I know? Let's see... you asked if Seb and Abby are a couple-"

"Genuine curiosity!" You blurted, though he ignored it.

"You give him gifts of his favorite things-"

"How was I supposed to know those were his favorite things!" This time, he didn't ignore you.

"You gave him gifts nonetheless."

"...How did you even know I was giving him gifts?" 

"I spend about fifty percent of my time hanging out with Sebastian. I know him well, and that he doesn't redecorate. You think I wouldn't notice the several new gems on his dresser? All I had to do was ask about them. Anyway, next thing. You talk to him about as often as possible. You and Abby have it out for each other, and the only thing she gets mad about is stuff like this. And take tonight for example- you did whatever you could to help him in the game." He counted on his fingers all the things he was listing. It was bugging you how he was basically talking down to you. It was bugging you how he saw through everything. Had everyone seen through everything? Had Sebastian seen through everything, and had yet to let you down? Was he really that cruel as to string you along for so long?

"So- so what, Sam? Are you trying to humiliate me for liking someone? Did I do something wrong? I can't control it, you know!" Your shoulders were hunched what felt like all the way to your ears, your fists were balled, you wanted to cry.

He sighed. "I'm sorry if I'm being... unintentionally harsh. I just... look, you can't tell anyone I'm saying this, alright?" As weird as he's acting, you're still his friend and he can still trust you. You nodded.

"Sebastian has a hard time with love and trust. He's always felt like he was the reason his parents broke up, and since they did, he hasn't felt like any of the love he's received from anyone is sincere. When Maru was born, he started to feel like he couldn't trust his mom anymore because he thought she was trying to replace him. This lead to him not really trusting anyone. Again, you can't tell anyone I'm telling you this; he told me all of this in confidence."

...Oh, the poor boy. He'd told you he didn't like talking about his dad, but you didn't know things were this bad. And was that why he hates Maru so much? Because he feels like he was replaced? Does he really feel like none of the love he's getting is real? You hoped he at least thought your friendship with him was real. You sure did.

"But I'm telling you this and talking to you about this crush, because... well, that's it precisely. I need to know if it's just a crush, or if he really means something to you. If it's a crush, then please just leave him be. He's fragile, Y/N. I don't want him getting strung along just to have his heart broken. If it's more than that... then I'd actually recommend going for it. Maybe you could be the one to help him see that the world doesn't hate him and that he's not as alone as he thinks. Now I know I can't control what you do, but I'm asking that you be kind with him. I've witnessed firsthand how his past trauma has affected, and still does, affect him. I'm his best friend and I love him. I only want him to be okay. Now, if this is more than a crush, I'd love to help! I consider myself a great matchmaker."

You weren't really sure what to say. You didn't quite know off the top of your head if it was more than a crush or not. 

"I... I didn't know he'd been through so much. Thanks, Sam."

The two of you walked the rest of the way to your cottage in silence. You thought your mind would be filled with questions and thoughts, but it was blank. You did, however, feel a little bit closer to him. You both had not-great pasts with your parents.

You hugged Sam goodbye.

Captain was already in your bed by the time you got there. You didn't bother changing, you just flopped onto your bed next to your dog.

 

 

After a few hours of thought and not being able to sleep, you sent a text.

Y/N: It's more than a crush.

Sam: I'm glad.

Sam: Now we gotta work on getting you two together.


	22. The Crush Chronicles - 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Sebastian sees Y/N hanging out with Shane, he decides it's time to start trying to get with her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter is so short. I didn't have much to write for it. It's just an important chapter to write because Sebastian finally decides that he's going to try and go for being with Y/N.
> 
> Why not leave a comment or kudos? It'll let me know that you're enjoying the story, and it's completely free! Got any questions? Comments? Things you would like to see in the story? See any inaccuracies? Grammar mistakes? Let me know!
> 
> -AsinineK9
> 
> P.S. the comments I get on AO3 always make me feel so wonderful, thank you!

Summer 10, Year 1

Sebastian's POV

I didn't want anyone to know I have a crush on Y/N because I plan on getting over it. It's obvious she doesn't like me. I'm not even saying that sadly anymore, it's just a fact I've accepted. But even if I know she doesn't like me and we cant be together, that doesn't mean the crush isn't there. Because it is. And it's there with all the things accompanying it.

I haven't had many crushes in the past, if that's not painfully obvious, so that means I haven't really experienced all the things a crush entails. Apparently, having a crush kinda really sucks.

The first thing I noticed is that I can't get her off my mind.

One minute I'm buying groceries at Pierre's because I was told to 'go outside every once in a while', (which, side note, I've actually been doing a lot more lately), and the next minute I'm thinking about if she would like that cool thing I saw on the shelf a minute ago as a gift.

When I'm at band practice with Sam, at first I'm going over those few measures of notes I keep getting wrong in the new song we wrote. Then, I start thinking about if Y/N would like the song. Then I'm thinking about what kind of music she likes, and suggesting to Sam writing a new song that I secretly think she might like better. Then, I'm wondering if she thinks a guy being in a band is nerdy or stupid and if she has higher standards than to be with a guy like that.

Or when I'm laying in bed, I imagine her arms wrapped around me... her hands running through my hair... then, she sits up and leans over, her kind eyes look down at me, her soft lips press to mine and... uh, yeah, I usually just stop that one there.

The second thing I noticed is that I'm... acting different? Or at least, I think I am. It feels like I am.

If I happen to be in a situation where I'm talking to her, I try to be cooler than I am to impress her. Of course, I don't know how to do that, so my mind goes blank or I completely embarrass myself with stupid words that I can't formulate ever. It even happens with texting! I end up coming up with some one-word response an hour after she texts me because I get nervous about what to say, writing and re-writing an answer.

I'm going out more yet staying in more at the same time. I go out to smoke more on the off chance that I might see her. I take Sam up on more offers to rehearse songs in case she's hanging out there, because I know she and Sam are friends. I let Maru drag me around, fetching supplies for experiments because I know that Y/N's been showing interest in Maru's experiments lately, and maybe I can strike up a conversation with her about that. But then again, I'm staying in more. When the doubt sets in, as it always does, I stay inside to avoid her. I cry into my pillow (pathetic) to comfort the knowledge that she doesn't like me and never will. I sit in front of the toilet after spending time with her, feeling like I'm going to barf after talking to her because of all the... the... what's the phrase? Worms in my throat? No, butterflies in my stomach!

The third thing I noticed is that I get jealous for no reason at all.

____

"You walk very slow, you know." Maru turns around and faces me, walking backwards.  
I've just gotten a text from Y/N, and I'm trying to figure out how to respond. The text says 'Hey, will you guys be holing another Solarian Chronicles game soon?'

I could respond with 'Hey Y/N, yeah, we will be. Do you want to come play again? Sam and I had a fun time with you.'

I could respond with 'Hi! Our next session is on Saturday. You should totally come again.'

But with the pressure of Maru pushing me to tell her what I'm doing on my phone, giving a good response, and giving a fast response, the only thing I can muster is 'yeah'. No capitalization, no punctuation.

'Hey, will you guys be holing another Solarian Chronicles game soon?'

'yeah'

I sound like I don't want her at the next session, and I feel like I want to die.

"What could be keeping so much of your attention on there?" I only start paying attention to Maru again when she tries to steal my phone so she can see what I'm doing.

"Nothing!" I instinctually turn my phone off and hold it as far away from her as possible. Once she gives up basically jumping over me to reach it, I put it in my pocket. I don't really know why I held my phone away from her, I was just texting Y/N. There's nothing in our texts that could suggest anything, as I'm pretty sure the only things I've said to her by phone are 'no', 'ok', and 'haha'. Oh right, and 'yeah'. 

She chuckles and turns back to facing forward. Putting my phone away forces me to look up to where we're going, and I see that we're arriving at the farm of the girl I could barely answer a few seconds ago. 

"Wh-what are we doing here?"

Maru sighed and rolled her eyes. "If you'd been listening instead of playing games on your phone, you'd know that we're here to observe some mushroom specimen that Dad planted a few days ago in a little cave just off of Y/N's house. They're supposed to be fully grown now, and we need to check the difference in..."

Once again, I stopped listening. My eyes were drawn to the cute girl in dirty overalls, holding more chickens than she should be able to carry, and laughing.

And here's where that third thing about having a crush I was talking about comes in.

My eyes are then drawn to the cause of her laughter- a disgruntled man in a blue jacket, struggling to carry a bale of hay in his arms while also balancing a chicken that decided the top of his head was the perfect place for a nap.

Shane? Shane!? This is a small town, so who knows who is known by everybody else. But I had no idea she and Shane had become close. Why... why in the world is she hanging out with Shane? Like... I'm justifiably upset, right? I wouldn't feel this way if it were Sam, or if it were Abby, but she doesn't even know Shane!

...But she's laughing. Who am I to be so selfish? I like her a lot, I want her to be happy. If that drunk bum ((sorry Shane stans, author has nothing against you)) makes her happy, then maybe he deserves her. 

"Sebby!" I immediately feel my face go beet red. Only Mom calls me Sebby. Well, and Abby sometimes, but I expect that from her.

I hope she didn't notice me staring. She's waving her whole arm, so I give a little wave back. Shane is still trying hard to not wake the sleeping chicken, so he doesn't notice me.

 

____

Y/N's POV

Ah shoot. He looks really uncomfortable. Sam said to try calling him Sebby, but maybe you shouldn't have tried it by yelling halfway across a field.

____

Sebastian's POV

I follow quickly behind Maru into the cave to escape Y/N's line of sight. I don't exactly want her to know I'm blushing at a pet-name. 

Okay, I know I said I jump to conclusions, but what reason could Shane be here for? The personalities of a guy like him and a girl like her don't mix, so they can't just be hanging out as friends. Is he trying to flirt with her? Or worse, is she trying to flirt with him? Or worse yet, are they on a date? Goddammit, I should've stopped thinking about myself and how I don't have a chance with her, and started thinking that yeah, if I'm not going to go for her, someone else definitely will. I never think ahead, pathetic, useless-

"Sebastian!" Maru calls with an irritated tone, throwing me from my spiraling whirlwind of self hate.

"Oh, right." I copy down whatever data Maru needs onto my phone. Curiosity gets the best of me, and I ask for Maru's opinion on why Shane is here.

"Hm, I'm not sure. He does live on a farm as well, so maybe they're exchanging farm tips?" She shrugged and looked over my shoulder at my phone to make sure I was getting the right data.

Oh. That's right. Shane lives on a farm. Shane works with chickens. Y/N just got chickens. He's probably telling her how to raise chickens.

I head back to the house with Maru, feeling very dumb. On the way out I waved Y/N and she waved back. That made me smile.

_____

While there are many more exhausting things about having a crush, the biggest thing I noticed is that I can't get it to go away. No matter how much I tell myself she doesn't like me, or I have no chance with her, or even if she did like me things would all go wrong, the stupid crush stays along with its stupid relentless hope. I think there's only one way to get rid of the crush, and I really don't want to try that. If she rejects me, I'll be the laughing stock of the town! I'll hate myself more than I already do now! I'll... I'll!

Sigh, but that's the only option, isn't it?


	23. That Girl is Poison(ed) - 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sebastian, Abby, and Sam decide to pull a prank on Pelican town by putting a certain very-much-alive food into the soup at the Luau. But when Y/N suffers a deathly allergic reaction to it, Sebastian waits with her in the doctor's office as she recovers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've never... had an allergic reaction before. This is probably really inaccurate. Oh well. Isn't it a cute chapter?
> 
> Why not leave a comment or kudos? It'll let me know that you're enjoying the story, and it's completely free! Got any questions? Comments? Things you would like to see in the story? See any inaccuracies? Grammar mistakes? Let me know!
> 
> -AsinineK9

Summer 11, Year 1

Yesterday before Shane came over to help you with the chickens, you got a letter in the mail from Mayor Lewis. You pulled it off of your table and reread it.

'Dear Y/N,

Tomorrow we're all gathering at the beach for the annual Pelican Town Luau.

The highlight of the event is the communal potluck. Make sure you bring something good to contribute!'

That could go wrong.

'The governor himself is attending the event,'

That could go really wrong.

'so make sure you're on your best behavior. Come to the beach sometime between 9AM and 2PM.

-Mayor Lewis.'

Um. Whose idea was it to have a communal potluck if you want to impress someone important? Sam, Seb, and Abby could -in fact, probably would, being the mischievous pranksters they are- bring a live fish on a plate, present it to the governor, and say 'here ya go!' or do something of the like. 

Putting the letter away, you decided to dress a little nicer than dirty overalls. You put on something simple, a nice blue shirt and striped shorts, silver sandals that complimented the blue. Look at you, you little fashionista.

You checked in on the chickens. They were much bigger than when you first got them. Well, except for your new recruit that Shane brought over. You named it after him as a thanks. He taught you how to clean things properly, how to incubate eggs (you'd need to get a bigger coop for that), and how to balance a chicken on the top of your head, which made you laugh.

Your summer crops were doing well. The sunflowers were starting to get very tall. The first batches of hops were ready to be harvested. Captain was chewing on the leg of one of your scarecrows. Life was good. But what were you to bring to the Luau? You could bring... a melon? No, those gave you a lot of money when you sold them, and with the new chickens, you need the money. Hmm... what else... maybe something with some of your new hops? Ah, but Vincent and Jaz would never skip out on stuffing their faces at a festival. What about a vegetable platter? There were some cauliflower heads leftover in your chest from spring, and the peppers looked almost ripe enough. Yeah!

You didn't really have a kitchen to clean and cut them with, but you were sure to wipe them off with a wet towel. You started cutting them on a paper towel on your table. Captain obviously wanted a part of whatever it was you were making, so you threw a bit of pepper on the floor. He took one sniff and turned away. Great, now you wasted a part of a pepper. You neatly and aesthetically placed the veggies on the plate and covered it with plastic wrap.

Heading out into the town, you noticed the hustle and bustle among everyone. People carrying plates, people tending to the flowers, people moving things in the direction of the beach, people doing anything they can to help Mayor Lewis prepare the town for the arrival of the governor. You saw Sebastian out and about. Well, not so much 'about', but he was standing under a tree snickering with Sam and Abbigail. Seeing him smile filled you with a warm feeling.

As time drew closer to 9 o'clock, people got more and more frantic. Abby and her posse weren't standing around anymore, they had gone somewhere. You placed your platter on a table at the beach. Mayor Lewis checked in with you about what you brought, as people in the past have tried to play pranks and put inedible things in the soup. The soup?

"Is that what that big pot is for?"

"Yes! Why, did I forget to include that in my letter?"

"Oh, uh, it's okay, I just thought it was a potluck like where the kind that people bring different plates of food and everybody gets some." And that's exactly what it looked like, save for the giant pot in the middle that Marnie was stirring. Plates and platters on the tables around you hadn't been opened yet.

"Yes, we have that, but we also have the soup! If you have anything to put in it, go ahead." He smiled.

Okay, you thought the potluck was a generally bad idea, but a soup where anyone can put anything in it?

Well... you had an extra pepper or two in your bag that could spice it up a little bit.

You went up to the pot where Marnie was stirring intently and dropped the peppers in. Marnie smiled.

"People have been putting very nice things in the soup this year, I'm sure it will be delicious!" She stuck a finger in the soup and popped it into her mouth. She smiled.

Soon enough, the beach was bustling with people. Not people stressed over getting ready, but people happily celebrating the summer, food, and party in general. People had unknowingly gathered into their normal groups. Well, everyone except Sebastian, Abbigail, and Sam. Where were they?

Just as Mayor Lewis had started to calm down and be a little less anxious about the party, a large man with an equally large mustache in a purple suit and hat. Then, Mayor Lewis stiffened up again. You hadn't seen this man in Pelican before, and the way Mayor Lewis is reacting to him, he's either a murderer or the governor. A few minutes after the governor arrived, so did your three missing friends.

Sebastian held a plastic bag, and if you were any less trusting of them, you'd say the bag was moving. But you were trusting of them, at least two of them, so you assumed that you maybe just saw something. Abby went up to ask Marnie something while Sebastian poured the white...meat? You couldn't tell what it was. Sebastian poured the whatever-it-was into the soup. You were about to go ask him what it was, but Mayor Lewis then called for everyone.

"I think we're going to get started with the Luau now, the governor," Mayor Lewis gestured to the oddly dressed man beside him, who smiled at his mention, "seems a little hungry. So, it's time once again for the potluck ceremony. I trust that you all put high-quality ingredients in the pot this year. We don't want the governor to regret his visit to the valley!" Mayor Lewis turned to the governor. "Well, Governor? Would you do us the honor of tasting the soup?"

Looking over at Abby, Sam, and Sebastian, it seemed that it was almost physically painful for them to hold in their snickers and snorts. What were they up to?

"Of course!" The large man bellowed. "I've been looking forward to this all year!"

He took a spoon from his pocket and took a sip of the soup. The people of the town were silent with anticipation.

"Ah...that's a very pleasant soup. The produce from this valley never disappoints! Very well done, Mr. Lewis."

Mayor Lewis then did the same and took a spoon to try the soup.

"Mmm...tasty. You all did very well today. Now, who else wants some soup?"

The townspeople, excited to try the apparently good soup, grabbed their bowls and spoons and headed for the pot.

Before grabbing your fill, you looked back at the three musketeers, expecting to see them completely dejected because whatever plan they had to make the soup taste bad didn't work. But they only laughed more when people started to try the food.

Their reactions confused you, but if the mayor and the governor said the soup is good, and everyone else is going to get some, why not get some yourself?

Ignoring their reactions, you filled your bowl, scooped some into your spoon, and put it in your mouth.

Sebastian was the first to look up from cackling. His face immediately dropped when he saw the spoon in your mouth.

"Wait-" he called.

The soup was good. You could definitely taste the peppers you put in it, they added that special kick of spice. The base was chicken broth, and sorry chickies back home, but it was warm and comforting and delicious. The carrots and potatoes that someone added complimented it well. There were chunks of celery that weren't quite cut up well enough, and if you tried hard enough, you could make out a hint of-

Oh.

Oh no.

Oh, no.

If you tried hard enough, you could make out a hint of lobster.

Your blood dropped to your feet and your heart ran cold.

You tried to call out, to ask if anyone had an epipen, to say that in any amount of seconds, you would stop breathing completely, but it was useless. The only noises to make it out of your mouth were just that- noises, croaks.

There was no more open space in your throat, and the lack of oxygen hit you faster than you expected.

In total panic you dropped your bowl and let your knees turn to jelly, clawing at your neck, coughing and sputtering the whole way down.

Time slowed. To make it worse, you couldn't see, your eyes filled with tears. And then people were touching you. Hands on your back, on your shoulders, under your arms, tugging on your skin, trying to get you to stand up.

At this point, all of your senses were blurred. You could distantly hear people yelling, someone screaming. Your senses faded more and more until you could feel and see nothing but darkness.

_______

Bright light. Like, blindingly bright. Or maybe you were just waking up from passing out, and your eyes were sensitive.

Your mind was still blurry, so you at least tried to identify where you were. There was... a plant. In a pot. Right across the room from you. And... some green curtains to your left. And you were laying down in a bed that definitely wasn't your own. And there was a dark figure sitting in a chair next to you.

As your senses started coming back to you, you could hear the dark figure mumbling something.

"...how much you mean to me."

What was he saying?

"What?"

"O-oh, you're awake! How are you feeling?" The man asked. You rubbed your eyes.

"Sebastian?" You tried to say, propping yourself up to sit. It was hard to speak, as your face was a little swollen. Swollen? Swollen! That's what's going on! The allergic reaction! You were probably in Harvey's office. 

And Sebastian was there waiting for you to wake up. Sebastian was there to make sure you were okay.

And Sebastian was currently seeing your post-allergic reaction face, which was probably red and definitely at least a little swollen.

"Yeah, it's me. Are you okay?" He dismissed your question in favor of his own.

You tried as casually as you could to hide your face. "My, uh, throat is a little sore and I've got a dull headache, but generally, I'm... I'm doin' good." You were still a little flabbergasted that the boy himself would be sitting there worrying about you. 

"Why, um, why are you here?" You asked, genuinely curious. Was he really just worried about you? Anyone in the town could come and see you because they were worried, so why him?

"S-Sam said I should probably see how you're doing..." he fiddled with his hands.

Oh. So he's only here because Sam said he should be here. He's not here unprompted. After a moment, he took a hesitant breath and started speaking again.

"...and because your allergic reaction is my fault." You must have then given him some kind of confused look, because he seemed to shrink down in guilt even more before explaining.

"Sam, Abby, and I wanted to play a prank this year. We've been planning it for a while, actually. Our plan was to bring a live lobster and put it in the soup, but obviously Mayor Lewis would check what we brought. So, we decided to cover the live lobster in pieces of cooked lobster in hopes that it would go unnoticed until we put it in the soup. And, uh, it did, but we never considered that someone might have an allergic reaction, especially you." He pulled his hood over his head. 

"Why especially me?"

"In our plan, Abby was supposed to tell you that we were doing all this so that you wouldn't eat soup with live lobster in it. I was... I was kinda shocked when I saw you eating it." He scoffed. "I guess she forgot to tell you." But he didn't say that normally. He said it more like 'forgot to tell you', as if she didn't tell you on purpose. Which, typical Abby. But things didn't add up.

"So if she forgot to tell you..." you started putting the pieces together, "how is this your fault?"

"I... I mean I'm the one that actually put the lobster in there. And, and I should've thought about the consequences. Especially that maybe they could affect someone I care about. And so many people have eaten it, they might get food poisoning from the raw lobster, now that I'm thinking about it, and I'm an adult for crying out loud! I shouldn't be doing this stuff anymore! Maybe this is why mom still treats me like a child, like I'm useless, like-"

He was going off on a tangent and a few tears dripped down his soft cheeks. Based on the way this is going, it sounded like the boy usually blames things on himself. Before it could get any worse, you overpowered ever signal in your body that told you to not be awkward or embarrass yourself and threw your arms around him.

It was a little awkward, as you had to lean over to reach him, so you were basically nuzzling your head into his chest. Immediately, he stopped talking and tensed up. He placed his hands on your back, not quite bold enough to rest his head on top of yours.

He sniffled. "Why are you the one comforting me?" His voice was barely above a whisper. He relaxed and melted into your touch.

You just hugged him a little tighter. You'd seen glimpses of what he experiences. How he feels like his mom doesn't see him as more than a child, Sam telling you about how Seb thinks his parents divorcing was his fault, how he feels like he needs to hide himself under his hoodie, how he recoils at touch.

You hugged him a little tighter for a little longer than necessary. 

When you pulled away, you noticed his face was a bit red from crying. 

"Well don't worry about me, Seb, I'm going to be okay." It'd be best to give him one less thing to have his mind on. 

"...It's alright if you don't want to be around me anymore after this, I mean I wouldn't want to be around someone so-" and there he went, about to degrade himself again.

"Hey. I'm not going anywhere."

________

Sebastian's POV

Sh***********-

WHAT HAVE I DONE

I've done some pretty dumb crap throughout my life and have said some pretty stupid things while letting my mouth run, but this? This is terrible. This cannot be reversed. This cannot be forgotten no matter how many times I tell myself it didn't happen.

I guess most of all, I'm furious at Abby. How could she forget to tell Y/N what our Luau prank plan was? She's our friend! I understand that Abby didn't know Y/N had a shellfish allergy -no one did- but Sam and I were under the impression that Y/N knew about it all. 

Seeing her collapse to the ground, I was confused. I though that maybe she had faked eating the soup and was then trying to play a prank right back on us. I hate that my first instinct was to laugh, or shout 'great acting, but it's not working!'. It only took a second to realize that she couldn't have been joking. Harvey rushed and asked her if she was choking, but she was a little preoccupied. Soon enough, we were all crowded around her, trying to get her attention, get her on her feet, get her to breathe. I didn't want her to feel cramped, so I stepped away. I regret that so, so much. I mean, what if she had died then and there? Where would I have been? Afraid? Scared of helping one of my closest friends? Missing in her final moments?

Marnie, Alex, Harvey, and Emily carried her to Harvey's office. Mayor Lewis asked everyone to keep enjoying the party, a 'nothing to see here' type of thing, but I felt so nervously sick to my stomach I went home immediately. I had a panic attack in my room, thinking that she could die and it would be all my fault. And it is my fault that all of this happened- I put the lobster in there. I should have thought it through. But I don't think things through, because I'm Sebastian. I'm a child.

Sam helped me work through the anxiety and suggested I go see her, as news spread that it was an allergic reaction and she was going to be fine with medicine, time, and rest. 

She was still passed out when I got there- she could breathe, she was alive, but still passed out.

Harvey had other things to do, so I was left alone in the room with her for a while. I said a few things that I'm very much hoping she didn't hear.

I basically cussed out Abby, cussed out myself as well. I promised to be a little more mature, to keep who I care about in mind when I think about doing something reckless. I'm not sure who exactly I promised this to.

Then, I just told her how much she means to me. How she's helped me be more outgoing, more loving of life. How she's made me smile in the past few months than I have in a few years. How it made me feel like I'm an actually decent human being when she keeps wanting to be my friend.

She woke up, and it took everything in me to not break down.

Then, the anxiety attack hit me again. I started going on about who knows what, things about my parents and how I could've killed her with a stupid prank and how my mom is right about everything she says about me.

But she took all the pain away in a single moment. A single gesture, a single hug. Man, I don't remember the last time I got a hug like that. Not some bro-hug, but a real, longer than ten seconds, 'I care about you' hug. And she was the one comforting me even though she was the one who stopped breathing just a little bit ago. Pathetic, as I always describe myself. But I'm far too lonely to go without hugs like that.

I said the most important thing about this all was that I'm mad at Abby, but that's not true. The most important thing is that Y/N said she's not going to ditch me after that ridiculous stunt I just pulled. I don't know how much I believe her, but it felt really nice to hear.

Maybe I should just... tell her that I appreciate her. Or not, I say as the social anxiety alarms go off in my head. But there's no way I can go much longer, especially after this, without at least asking her if she feels how I do.


	24. Eight for a Wish - 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sebastian hasn't left his room since the Luau incident. Is he okay? When Sam and Abby are reluctant to see what's going on, you have to check it out for yourself. The conversation you an the emo boy have sparks you to bring him a bouquet that indicates romantic interest, but not before being stopped by Abby for an apology.  
> Will he take the flowers?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No, it's not the end yet. This is just the eight heart event, my friends. While we don't have much longer to go, there's a few more chapters I have planned. Don't leave just yet!
> 
> -AsinineK9

Summer , Year 1

I feel awful. I don't remember if I showered three days ago or four days ago. It's been anxiety attack after anxiety attack. I just need to stay somewhere dark and familiar, so I stay in my room. There's a dull pain in my stomach that I choose to ignore. I'm hugging my knees to my chest and shaking. My muscles hurt from tensing so much.

What one person can do to you. After her allergic reaction, she hugged me and told me that she wouldn't leave. She'd be there for me. At the time, I believed her. But things have just gotten bad.

I keep thinking about those few words.

"Hey. I'm not going anywhere."

I keep thinking about them, and how much it's going to hurt when she inevitably does leave.

More lies. More false hope. No one will ever be there for you, Sebastian. Your own father didn't even want you.

I've never gotten the concept of having a 'voice in your head' that's telling you things. There's no other voice. It's just me, telling me the truth.

And god, that hug. My hands around my waist, I try to re-feel that hug. I'm not really comfortable with a lot of physical touch, but what was it about that hug that felt so nice? I guess I felt... protected. Cared about. Loved, for once in my life.

____

Y/N's POV

You, Sam, and Abby pulled out the cards from a drawer in Sam's room. Sebastian had texted Sam earlier saying he couldn't hold the Solarian Chronicles session today, as work was piling up fast.

It felt fake. He hasn't come out of his house, you doubted even his room, in days. While that was definitely normal for him when you first met him, it wasn't so much now. You took out your phone and sent a quick text.

'Haven't seen you in a while :(. Work treating you that bad?'

____

Sebastian's POV

My phone buzzed in my pocket. I debated if I should look at it or just leave it be. Probably a wrong number. Nonetheless, I checked it immediately.

It was from her. She must have heard that I told Sam I'm busy with work. Well, she must have heard that I lied to Sam I'm busy with work. I don't want her to worry over me, because I'm nothing to worry about. If anything, I should be worrying over her. God, why am I the one hiding? Why am I being the victim here? I'm not the victim.

"No, no..." I mumbled to myself, feeling my muscles tense and hot tears run down my cheeks again. I don't think my body can take another panic attack. I tried to take a calming breath, but I inhaled sharp and shakily.

My trembling fingers managed to type something close to a sentence.

'Yeah. don't wrory about me.'

That should be good enough, disregarding the typo. No details about how I'm doing. Nothing about when she'll see me again. Perfectly ambiguous.

____

Y/N's POV

You didn't really know how to feel about it. 'Don't worry about me' he says. But after catching that glimpse into his real life, into how he really feels, you thought him being alone for this long did more harm than good. What worsened the situation was how Abby and Sam pretty much ignored it all. They paid no mind to Sebastian not being there.

Sam knows this is bad for Sebastian. He told you everything about his best friend's past.

"It's a good thing we scheduled this for today," Abby chimed, looking out the window into the thundering clouds.

Sam laid out the cards into their respective piles.

This just... this just wasn't right. Rarely do you trust your instinct, but something was off.

"Is no one going to address the elephant in the room?" Eerie silence filled the air, even the rain on the roof seemed to stop.

They both knew what you were talking about. "What do you mean?" Sam asked, drawing cards from piles, avoiding eye contact. You humored him and gave an answer.

"What's going on with Sebastian?"

"He's got work. That's what he said." Sam took out his phone to check the text.

"Do you really believe that?"

Abby noticeably said nothing.

____

Sebastian's POV

I may be blowing this out of proportion, but I don't care. I do things wrong so often, people get mad at me so often, I get so mad at myself so often.

My bike needs an oil change, but I'm sure it'll be fine until I get to Zuzu. I'll... I'll leave today. It's okay if she's worried about me for a while. She's got friends here, a life here, and memories to make. She'll grow up, get married, grow her farm, and forget all about me. It's the good life she deserves.

But first... I want to go back. Back through it all so I can take the memories that are rightfully mine. First is the doc on the beach where we first met.

____

Y/N's POV

"It's not Seb!" You exclaimed.

"How do you know what Seb is or isn't? You've known him for less than a year!" Abby and you were bickering back and fourth.

"I know he isn't like this! I know how much he loves this game, how much he loves his friends, how he tries to talk to at least one person every single day! I know that he's trying to better himself." The two of you stood, yelling at one another in Sam's room.

"And I know that you're obsessed with him! He's fine- you're just trying to play the victim card like you always do and have him worry about you." She stepped close to you to push you, but Sam intervened and held her back.

"You two need to knock it off!" His voice bellowed. You looked at him in shock, Sam never yells.

The heat of the moment was getting to you. After everything Abby's done to you, you were done. Just done. She did everything in her power to make you feel like an outsider when you were trying to fit in with the new town. She bared her teeth when you came remotely close to Sebastian when you were just trying to make friends. You were almost positive she kept the information of the Luau prank from you on purpose. It was enough.

You glared at both Sam and Abby. "I'm out. I have better things to do than be accused."

As you stormed out of Sam's house, he called after you.

All you wanted to do was check on him. So what if he actually was just working hard? It would put your racing heart at ease. But then what about the fight you had with Abby? Was that all for nothing? No, no way. That fight was long overdue.

The rain aggravated you more. And you were in your denim overalls, so the wetness would stay even longer. Great!

____

Sebastian's POV

I can't bring myself to leave the docs.

Pathetic, I know, as it's only the first place I intended to go. This is where we met. This is where my life started to go uphill. Funny how a single person can make you want to be ten times better. 

Maybe I'll stay at the docs forever. I won't hurt anyone. I won't be a nuisance to anyone. I can just sit in the rain and think about the good things.

____

Y/N's POV

After going to his house, the tavern, by the lake where he smokes, and practically every other place you could think of. But seeing his dark, hunched over figure sitting in the rain, you could only think duh, of course he's sitting in the rain on the docs. It's such a him thing to do.

You weren't sure if he could hear your footsteps across the creaky old wood over the pouring rain slapping the water. You sat behind him and pressed your back against his, leaning into him. He straightened in surprise for a moment, and slouched over again.

"Rough day?" Was the only thing you managed to say. He took a breath in to speak, but decided against it and just sighed.

"Me too."

You could almost fall asleep like this. A bit tired from fighting, listening to the pitter-patter of the rain, pressed up against the man you... the man you love.

"I'm a... a bit surprised to see you out here. In the rain. Aren't farmers made of sunshine?" He started to pull his legs up to his chest, but put them back down over the edge when he realized his shift in position might make you uncomfortable.

"Rain is a farmer's best friend. I don't have to water the crops when it rains." You leaned your head back against the back of his shoulder, the edge of his semi-long hair brushing at your face in the wind. He moved his head towards the sky.

"Look at all the dark clouds looming over the horizon." He was right, the clouds above you poured heavy rain, but the clouds ahead were even darker. After all the panic he had been through in the past few days, after all the chaos you had been through today, after the rain started to swirl and the lightning crackled and the thunder boomed, there was peace. They say it's quiet in the eye of a hurricane. "I hope they come this way."

You looked further up at the clouds and tried to appreciate them the way he did.

"I like this weather because it makes everything disappear..." he wanted to hear your voice, to know you were still there. "Y'know?"

"Yeah." You responded. He put his hands at his sides, and so did you. He took a deep breath.

"Being around people makes me feel anxious." He reached back and put his hand over yours, making every alarm in your system go off. He tensed, sure you would pull your hand away, tell him you didn't like him like that, call him a freak. But after you let your hand stay there, he continued. "I don't feel that way around you, though."

You shifted so that you were sitting next to him, your feet hanging over the edge next to his. You took his hand properly and held his hand firmly. He held yours back. You could see his face now. The poor boy's eyes were red and puffy; he was obviously crying not too long ago. His hair was uncombed. He was pale, probably from loss of appetite, but his cheeks were pink as the flower petals that fell in the spring.

He cleared his throat, and stated the obvious.

"We're getting soaked." He took his hand from yours and opened the umbrella, holding it above himself.

"Here, there's uh, room for two." He held out the umbrella to where it was mostly covering you. Being courageous, you scooted closer to him. He should be under the umbrella too. Then you scooted a little closer. And a liiiiitle bit closer, to where your sides were pressed against each other and you both easily fit under the umbrella.

With his free hand, he sneakily reached to take your hand again, but then pulled back and rested it in his lap. You reached over and took it without hesitation.

You were sure a heart attack was impending. He couldn't look at you, you couldn't look at him. The both of you just looked out onto the horizon at those dark clouds he mentioned a minute ago.

Be brave be brave be brave be brave...

You rested your head on his shoulder. He leaned his head on yours and rubbed the back of your hand with his thumb.

____

You weren't expecting mail, especially so soon after the Luau, but nevertheless, the red flag on your mail box was up.

The letter was from Pierre. At first, you were just going to discard it, thinking it was some promotion or ad. But looking closer, you noticed the envelope was different from the normal letters you get from Pierre. You opened it carefully and took out the letter.

'It seems like you're starting to get close with some of the townspeople. If you want to show someone that you're romantically interested, you've got to give them one of my beautiful flower bouquets. I'm selling them now, for a very fair price! If you want to start a family someday, this is the first step.'

Whoa whoa, what? Okay first, how did Pierre know that something was going on between you and Sebastian? And 'start a family'? What exactly did he think you and Seb were doing!?

So...what exactly were you and Sebastian? You held hands, like, one time last night. Was he doing that because you held his hand first? Or did that part where he rested your hand on yours count as 'holding'? Did he just feel bad about you having an allergic reaction so he was trying to be nice? Was he just holding your hand as a friend?

The two of you didn't talk after the umbrella went up. You didn't put a label on your relationship, if it even was one. Should you ask him? No, that would be embarrassing. Do you just show up to his house with a bouquet?

...

Should you even get a bouquet? Well, you were already freaking out, so why not make it a little worse?

Pierre's was open, per usual. The man smiled wide when he saw you.

"I think I know exactly what you're here for!" Without hearing a word from you, he went into the back of the shop and came out with a bouquet of pretty flowers of all kinds.

"I- uh- how did you know?" You were flustered, but also genuinely curious.

"Word spreads, Farmer Y/N. Word spreads." Okay, but what is that supposed to mean?

"...So this really tells someone that you... want to... date them?"

He winked. "Pelican town tradition."

You paid him the appropriate amount and set out to Sebastian's house. So you're really doing it, huh? You didn't even want to think about how nervous you were, how wrong things could go. This could determine a lot of your life in Stardew. If he liked you, you two would date, figure out your futures, do...couple stuff? You weren't completely sure. But is he didn't take the flowers, things would be really awkward. He's part of your closes friend group, so if he says no, every time you tried to hang out with your closest friends would be awkward hell. There's a lot on the line here.

...But you tried not to make it seem so big.

____

Sebastian's POV

"What- what do I do, guys? Do I- do I get the bouquet? What if she says no? Then things will be awkward forever and I'll never get to talk to her again! I can't not talk to her again-"

"Sebastian, chill out, it's okay!" Sam patted me on the back in an effort to comfort me and get me to stop pacing.

"Okay, recap. You said she leaned on your back, held your hand, put her head on your shoulder... this all sounds pretty romantic to me. Plus she's a nice person, so even if she did turn you down, it's not like she would never want to be your friend..." (Maru looked past her step-brother to Sam where he was waving his hands in front of his neck, telling her to stop talking). "But I'm sure she'll feel the same?" (Sam nodded and gave a thumbs up).

"And you have time to make a decision. It's not like you have only today to buy the bouquet and give it to her if you so choose to do so." Sam and Maru were doing their best to keep me calm. Sure, I could stay in his room and just have panic attacks all day again, but after the scene at the docs, I knew I needed to act, and to do that I needed advice. He invited Sam, Maru, and Abby to my lab (because the lord knows my room is a mess) to help me.

"But Sam, I don't have time. I can't just talk to her without bringing up last night." After thinking for a moment, my shoulders dropped. "Maybe I can. Maybe she thought I was just being friendly, or maybe she was just trying to get me to stop freaking out."

Sam exchanged looks with Maru. So basically, they think my point is valid. Great. I knew I was right.

"Don't look so dejected," Sam said, "you'll never know if you don't try."

I sighed. No matter how much we talked, it was true that I'd never know the truth until I asked her. I nodded.

"Good." Maru sat up on the counter. "Now we just need to decide when you're going to do it."

"Preferably as soon as possible," Sam suggested.

"No. Not that. I'd like it to not be as soon as possible." I felt my blood run cold, knowing that they probably already had some kind of plan.

"Seb, the more you wait, the worse the anxiety is going to get. You find out as soon as possible, and then we'll deal with whatever comes next together." Together. That sounded nice. Together doesn't happen much for me.

"I say we do it now." Maru said, nonchalantly.

No! At least give me a day to prepare! To think things over! They can't force me into this, I'm a grown man! Plus, this is not a 'we' thing.

"She could be busy now, in fact she probably is." But none of my excuses worked.

"Come on Seb, this is exciting! My best friend is going to either get his first girlfriend or his first rejection. Aww!" Sam started to push me towards the door.

Well there's no getting out of it now. Better to just rip the band-aid off, right? Right?

Just as I reached towards the door, someone knocked on it.

____

Y/N's POV

-A few minutes earlier-

Thump. Thump. Thump.

Your heart was beating in your throat, a sensation you've never experienced before. Usually your heart just drops to your feet. It must have been taking up all the room, because you felt like you couldn't breathe. The flowers weighed tons in your hands, though you were sure they weren't even a pound. Everything was uncomfortable, from your clothes, to suddenly itching everywhere, to your hair getting in your face. Things you guessed you don't normally notice.

You saw Abby leaning on the edge of the bridge while on your way to Sebastian's.

"Hey." She called, though you weren't sure to whom, as she was still looking out into the water. You disregarded it and kept going.

"I'm talking to you, come here." She was side-eyeing you now. Why would she want to talk to you? Yesterday it seemed like she wanted to make sure you could never talk again. You slowly walked over to her, wondering if she set up any booby traps or something of the like.

"May I help you?" You asked with a bit of an attitude, but still trying to be kind.

"I wanna talk." Her eyes returned to the water.

"Okay." You set the bouquet down on the edge of the bridge. "What about?"

She stood and turned to you. "Sebastian, and why I'm such an asshole to you. Well really, I want to explain why I'm such an asshole to you. And..." she sighed, "apologize."

Um, you were sure you didn't hear what you thought you heard. Those words could never come out of Abby's mouth, so you must be dreaming? Or something? Getting to hold hands with and lean on Sebastian was shocking and all, but if at anytime you questioned reality, it would be now.

"Okay?"

It took her a minute to start. You weren't sure if she didn't know where to start or if she just really didn't want to start.

"Sebastian and I have known each other since we were kids. His mom moved here to get a fresh start, and he came along with her. Believe it or not, I used to be a happy, go-lucky goody two shoes like you," you weren't sure if she was trying to apologize or insult you, because it sure didn't sound like the former, "and so I badgered him until he became my friend.

"He's helped me with everything as we grew- meeting Sam, coming out to my parents, standing up for myself even though he's shit at it himself... and then somewhere along the way I caught feelings for him and his stupid emo hair and cute laugh..." she trailed off, thinking of what could have been. "I just thought I had time. I had time to get him to like me, and then you came along. I didn't like how quickly you two got along. I didn't like how you were changing him, how he was and is trying to be a better person for you.

"But the truth that I've refused to believe for so long is that he... he just doesn't feel that way about me. He never has, and never will, no matter how hard I try." She started to tear up.

"Don't get me wrong, it's not just about wanting to be with him romantically. He's one of my two closest friends. Only friends, really. I grew up with him, I've helped him, he's helped me, I-" her voice broke and a few tears ran down her face. "I just thought I would lose my best friend."

She chuckled. "It sounds ridiculous saying it out loud."

But... it didn't. Well, that doesn't excuse her from being so mean, but you could understand how losing a friend, especially one she had grown feelings for, was something to fear.

"Abby..." You started.

"But the worst part is that I'm happy for him. He has become better. He's anxious, but happy. He goes outside, he does things. He lights up at the mention of your name."

You wrapped your arms around her and pulled her into an embrace. "Abby, I'm not going to take him from you. Even if Seb and I end up in a relationship, it's not like we're going anywhere. I've got a farm that I can't exactly bring on the road, and Seb isn't going to want to leave you and Sam. We can still all hang out- I'd like to be your friend if you'd let me."

Maybe Abby could take a turn for the better.

She pulled away from the hug and put her hand on your shoulder. "Go give him the flowers. I assure you, he'll accept them."

You started to walk away, but looked back at her to see if she was still crying. 

"Go!" She pushed when she noticed you hadn't left yet.

You smiled and went on your way. You were quiet and happy thinking about the future friendship between you and the pastel punk. But then... you reached his door.

This was it. Your worries, jealousy, nights of being unable to sleep due to a leaping heart, they all ended here. Or, they all multiplied by a hundred.

Knock knock knock.

____

Sebastian's POV

I turned the knob, and there she stood. With a bouquet of flowers in her hand.

____

Y/N's POV

You didn't even notice how dumbfounded he looked, you were too busy blushing and avoiding eye contact. You couldn't look into his eyes when he said no. You just couldn't.

"Please take them!" The flowers were shoved at his chest. 

All your false confidence left you immediately. He was going to say no - oh god, you'd never be able to talk to him again. You'd lose your love and your friend. 

"I..." his hands were shaking when he took the flowers from yours. "I didn't know you felt..."

"I'm sorry!" You burst out. "I'm so sorry, I understand if you- I won't talk to you anymore- I don't mean to put you in an awkward position-" You couldn't finish a single sentence. Finally starting to fit into your new job and home. Finally starting to make good friends. Finally being accepted into the community. You blew it. 

Well, it's time to go back to the farm. Sit with the chickens, they're the only ones who are ever going to love you. Turning to leave, he grabbed your wrist.

"I'll accept this." It came out as a whisper, and you finally looked at him. His face was tomato red, and he was... smiling. 

The hug that followed was tender and warm, with the voices of Sam and Abby cheering in the background.

He accepted it. He feels the same.


End file.
